WALES

Bilateral Meetings

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what bilateral meetings he has had with each of his Cabinet colleagues in the last 12 months.

Peter Hain: In the course of my duties I have frequent meetings and discussions with Cabinet colleagues.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House how many citizen juries or summits have been hosted by her Office since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Barbara Keeley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has hosted no citizen juries or summits since October 2008.

Departmental Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House how many  (a) citizens' juries and  (b) summits have been hosted by her Office since June 2007; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Barbara Keeley: Since 2007, the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons hosted one citizens' jury. A deliberative forum was held on the draft legislative programme which the Leader of the House of Commons attended on 20 October 2007.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

14 Tothill Street

Michael Fabricant: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what  (a) buildings and  (b) rooms on the House of Commons part of the parliamentary estate are vacant; for how many months the offices at 14 Tothill Street have been vacant; and what the cost of (i) rent and (ii) utilities on the offices at 14 Tothill Street has been in that period.

Nick Harvey: There are no  (a) vacant buildings on the House of Commons part of the parliamentary estate. The number of  (b) vacant rooms fluctuates constantly as requirements change or maintenance work is carried out. At present there are 13 unoccupied offices on the estate with a total area of 216m(2). Seven of these offices are vacant to enable major roof works to take place in the area known as the "Yellow Submarine" north of Speaker's Court. There are 2,100m(2) of open plan offices leased in No 4 Millbank for use as decant space. Of this, 500m(2) is currently vacant, awaiting fit-out.
	There are also 2,800m(2) of vacant, open plan space which is the House of Commons' area of No 14 Tothill Street, and this space has been empty since the building was leased in October 2007. This area will be fitted out and available for use by the Department of Resources in autumn 2010. The Commons share of (i) the total rent paid to date, including the current quarter to 25 March 2010, amounts to some £4.8 million (including VAT); and the Commons share of (ii) utility costs paid to November 2010 has been some £33,000 (including VAT).

NORTHERN IRELAND

Chief Information Officer

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what pay band his Department's chief information officer (CIO) is employed; whether the CIO is employed on a fixed-term or permanent contract; and what the size is of the budget for which the CIO is responsible in the period 2009-10.

Shaun Woodward: The post of director of communications within the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is located in senior civil service payband 2 and the current postholder is on a permanent SCS contract.
	The 2009-10 budget for NIO Information Services Division is £2.1 million.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Fines

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers his Department has to impose administrative penalties; what the statutory basis is for each such power; and how much his Department has recovered in administrative penalties in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has no powers to impose administrative penalties.

Wind Power

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  who  (a) drafted,  (b) checked and  (c) approved his Department's press release on the granting of round 3 offshore wind rights, distributed on 7 January 2010; and whether special advisers contributed to the (i) drafting and (ii) approval of that document;
	(2)  to which special advisers his Department e-mailed its press release on the granting of round 3 offshore wind rights on 7 January 2010;
	(3)  for what reasons his Department's press release on the granting of round 3 offshore wind rights was issued before the expiry of the embargo on the press release issued by the Crown Estate on that matter;
	(4)  whether his Department's press release on the granting of round 3 offshore wind rights was sent to the Crown Estate before it was issued.

Ann McKechin: The press release was drafted, checked and approved by Scotland Office press office staff using information provided by the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Scotland Office press releases are drafted to include the relevant policy advice from officials and the relevant Government Department(s) and advice from special advisers where appropriate.
	The release also referred to £3 million of grants to further support the offshore wind supply chain, including £1.5 million to Burntisland Fabrications Ltd. (BiFab) in Fife, from the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The announcement that a licence was to be awarded by the Crown Estate to SeaEnergy Renewables and EDP Renovaveis in the Moray Firth was already in the public domain on the morning of 7 January 2010 having been carried in  The Press and Journal. The Scotland Office press office was not made aware of any subsequent embargo.
	A link to  The Press and Journal article can be found here:
	www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1551358

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Billing

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in December 2009.

Si�n Simon: 96.65 per cent.

Departmental Food

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the quantity of food waste generated by his Department in each year for which figures are available.

Si�n Simon: This information is not available.

Departmental Offices

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) area and  (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his Department.

Si�n Simon: The Department rents 13,121 sq m of office space.
	9,425 sq m is occupied by the Department
	3,537 sq m is sublet to tenants
	159 sq m is vacant
	As the space is not owned by the Department, valuations are not carried out.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has allocated for  (a) year end and  (b) in-year bonuses for staff in 2009-10.

Si�n Simon: An element of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.
	Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
	The wages/salary budget for 2009-10 is £25,327,000, of which non-consolidated performance payments represents an estimated 2.4 per cent.

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has paid to public relations companies in each of the last five years; and for what purpose in each case.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 11 January 2010
	 The costs of the Department's contracts with public relations consultancies in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   PR consultancy  Spend (£) 
			 2004-05 Harrison Cowley 117,500.05 
			 2005-06 Harrison Cowley 295,148.25 
			 2006-07 Harrison Cowley 84,600 
			 2007-08 n/a 0 
			 2008-09 Edelman 186,495 
		
	
	These companies provided communications support on Digital Switchover, the implementation of the Licensing Act and Cbinet.

Departmental Sick Leave

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many working days were lost due to illness of employees within his Department in each of the last three years; and how many of these were attributed to stress in each year.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 7 January 2010
	 The table shows:
	a. The number of working days lost due to illness within the Department for Culture Media and Sport in each of the last three years.
	b. The number of days attributed to stress in each year.
	
		
			   Working days lost  Days attributed to stress 
			 2006-07 2,873 373 
			 2007-08 2,085 96 
			 2008-09 1,944 20

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many sessions of media training were organised for Ministers in his Department in each of the last three years.

Si�n Simon: My right hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) attended one media training session in 2008 when he was Secretary of State. All other Ministers in DCMS are recorded as not having undertaken media training courses in the last three years.

Industrial Tribunals

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many industrial tribunals relating to his Department there have been in each of the last five years; and what the cost to his Department was of such tribunals in each such year.

Si�n Simon: DCMS has had no industrial tribunals in the last five years.

Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many citizens' juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each such event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has held no citizen juries since October 2008.

Television: Licensing

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many persons over 75 years old received a free television licence in 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: Free television licences are administered for people aged 75 or over by TV Licensing as agents for the BBC.
	According to the BBC's annual report and accounts, there were 4 million free television licences issued to pensioners aged 75 or over in 2008-09.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Israel

Richard Burden: To ask the Solicitor-General what the position was of the Government as presented by the Attorney-General at meetings with representatives of the Government of Israel in January 2010 on the operation of the law of universal jurisdiction in the UK in relation to the possibility of Israeli officials, politicians or military personnel being arrested if they travel to the UK.

Vera Baird: holding answer January 2010
	The Attorney-General reiterated the statement by the Foreign Secretary that the Government were looking urgently at ways in which the UK system might be changed to avoid this situation happening again.

TRANSPORT

Freight by Water

Bob Laxton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department has provided to Freight by Water in each year since 1993; and how much it plans to provide in 2010-11.

Paul Clark: Since it was established in 2003, the following sums have been provided to Freight by Water (and its predecessor Sea and Water) as start-up funding and in order to establish the organisation as the UK's Short Sea Shipping Promotion Centre.
	
		
			  Financial year  Support 
			 2003-04 120,000 
			 2004-05 120,000 
			 2005-06 120,000 
			 2006-07 120,000 
			 2007-08 120,000 
			 2008-09 120,000 
			 2009-10 80,000 
		
	
	The Department for Transport has undertaken to provide a further £50,000 in 2010-11. In line with the position for other established freight trade bodies, no funding is planned beyond 2010-11.

Inland Waterways: Freight

Bob Laxton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department is taking to encourage use of inland and coastal waterways for the transportation of goods and materials.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport supports the transfer of freight from road to water where it is practical and economically and environmentally sustainable to do so. It does this through three specific grants that aim to purchase the environmental benefits of reducing road freight.
	Freight Facilities Grants help to offset the capital cost of providing water and rail freight handling facilities. In return, the grant applicant commits to transferring a specified volume of freight from road to water or rail, through the newly constructed freight handling facility, for a period of up to 10 years.
	The Rail Environmental Benefit Procurement scheme, which assists companies with the operating costs associated with running rail freight transport instead of road where rail is more expensive than road, now also covers inland waterways transport, and from 1 April 2010 will be replaced by Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) scheme.
	Waterborne Freight Grants assist companies with the operating costs, for up to three years, associated with running coastal and short-sea shipping freight services instead of road (where water is more expensive than road).
	In addition, the Department has provided £800,000 in start-up funding to Freight by Water and its predecessor Sea and Water since 2003-04, and has undertaken to provide a further £50,000 in 2010-11. It is also promoting the opportunities and benefits for modal shift through the Freight Best Practice programme.

M6: M42

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the average annual consequential carbon dioxide emissions arising from the hard shoulder running schemes on  (a) the M6 and  (b) the M42.

Chris Mole: holding answer 11 January 2010
	No estimates have been made of average annual carbon dioxide emissions following the introduction of hard shoulder running on the M6 and M42. Desk studies have been carried out by the Highways Agency, based on a calculation of engine characteristics of vehicles using the pilot scheme on the M42. These have shown that emissions have reduced by 4 per cent. per vehicle as a result of a reduction in stop/start traffic conditions.

Motorways: Accidents

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what  (a) research and  (b) trial work his Department has undertaken for the purposes of improving the provision of information to drivers on the motorway network on incidents on their routes in the last five years; and what assessment he made of the outcomes of such work.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency has undertaken a number of trials and carried out research regarding a number of its information services. These include:
	 Traffic England Website
	Prior to the new website being launched in April 2009, customer panels were held to test the functionality and understanding of the new site. Following this feedback, changes were made to the design and functionality of the website.
	 Atlas Professional Website
	(A website aimed at professional users such as Travel News Media) The Highways Agency recently carried out an evaluation of this website with users via an online questionnaire. The Agency also asked users for their comments on new functionality that could be offered on this site, which were received positively and this site is due to be refreshed with new functionality later this year.
	 Variable Message Signs (VMS)
	The Agency undertakes National Road Users Satisfaction Surveys on a regular basis which includes questions regarding the accuracy of messages shown on our VMS regarding incidents ahead and these results are used to inform improvements to accuracy of messages. In addition, we also seek feedback about whether road users receive sufficient information about incidents and how they receive this information. This is then fed back to our teams to improve the way information is disseminated.
	 Travel Times on Variable Message Signs (TTVMS)
	This service was trialled on sections of the motorway network from July 2006 until September 2007. Following customer surveys the majority of respondents thought showing travel and delay time messages was a good idea, found them useful and easy to read and understand. Following this, TTVMS was implemented across the whole HA network.
	 Highways Agency Information Points
	A Highways Agency Information Point (HAIP) is a real-time system, providing road users with a unique platform for receiving information on the state of the road network ahead. An initial HAIP prototype was trialled at Hopwood Services on the M42 in 2005, following this success further HAIPs were installed across motorway service areas and truck stops. Following research into drivers' reactions to HAIPs, they have now been updated and now contain a non-interactive single display system.
	 Traffic Radio
	Spoken information service trials took place during 2005 and 2007 and this demonstrated the viability of a 'dip in/dip out' radio service providing constantly updated traffic information on a national and regional basis.
	 CCTV
	A partnership trial with two companies, MxData and the BBC was held in 2006. The Highways Agency created two accounts to access the existing HANET service allowing each organisation to take, store and forward images to the public. During the trial period, a report from MxData showed an overwhelming positive response.

Offenders

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been convicted of a criminal offence of each type in each year since 1997.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002 comprising a central Department and seven agencies.
	The Driving Standards Agency, Driver and The Vehicle Licensing Agency, The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, The Highway Agency, The Vehicle Certification Agency and the Government Car and Despatch Agency maintain records of staff convictions. To date, since 2002, 17 employees of these agencies have been convicted of criminal offences. Of these there are 11 recorded convictions for fraud. All of these employees have undergone the appropriate disciplinary procedures, including termination of employment where appropriate.
	A further breakdown based on the type of conviction is unavailable because, where figures are fewer than five, it is the Department's policy to withhold details on grounds of individual confidentiality.
	The Department for Transport (centre) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency do not keep central records of employees' convictions or the offences to which they relate. Details of criminal convictions may appear on an individual's personnel files but such information could be retrieved and provided only at disproportionate cost.

Railway Stations: Parking

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will assess the effect on levels of the use of train services of the level of car parking charges at railway station car parks; and if he will make representations to station management companies to encourage lower car parking fees.

Chris Mole: Charges for car parks operated by train companies are not assessed or monitored by the Department for Transport. Under the terms of franchise agreements, charges at the majority of station car parks are a matter for the train operator, who has a strong commercial incentive not to discourage rail use. The Department has no contractual powers to mandate the level of car park charges.

Railways: Scotland

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what progress his Department has made in assessing the potential for high-speed rail services to Scotland.

Chris Mole: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 63-64WS, which sets out the Government plans for high speed rail in the UK.

Roads: Accidents

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research into the effectiveness of traffic policing in reducing numbers of casualties on the roads his Department has commissioned in the last five years

Paul Clark: In 2007 the Department for Transport published a research report on the development of a database to examine the relationship between road policing activity and accident reduction available at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme2/roadpolicingaccidentreduction/

Roads: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the percentage change in the number of  (a) deaths and  (b) serious injury as a result of road accidents has been in Preston between 1997 and the most recent year for which information is available.

Paul Clark: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Reported killed and seriously injured road casualties Preston  d istrict  a uthority: 1997 and 2008 
			   1997  2008  Percentage change 
			 Killed 9 9 0 
			 Seriously injured 156 103 -34

Roads: Salt

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he has approved proposals to amend limits on drivers' hours for the purposes of facilitating the distribution of salt and grit supplies.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 12 January 2010
	Ministers issued delegated authority prior to the Christmas period on a conditional basis to named senior officials to issue relaxations to the EU drivers' hours rules for the distribution of road salt.
	However, a request was not submitted to the Department for Transport by industry until 7 January. A relaxation to the enforcement of the EU drivers' hours rules was issued and notified to stakeholders on the same afternoon under the delegated authority provided to officials.
	The driving time limits and duty limits for 'gritters', which fall in scope of the domestic drivers' hours rules, can be automatically suspended in emergency events such as severe and prolonged adverse weather conditions. Local authorities are aware of this provision and are using it, where absolutely necessary, accordingly.

Roads: Snow and Ice

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to seek to ensure that disruption to road transportation caused by adverse weather conditions does not lead to fuel shortages in  (a) the north of England and  (b) the rest of the country.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 13 January 2010
	On Wednesday 6 January, the Department for Transport convened the Salt Cell-a collaborative task force involving the devolved Administrations, the Highways Agency and local government.
	The Salt Cell has been monitoring salt supplies and advising salt suppliers on the priorities for salt distribution to ensure that we keep major routes open across the whole country, including major distribution routes for fuel and food. In particular, it has worked hard with delivery partners to ensure that power stations remain accessible.
	The Government have also relaxed enforcement on drivers' hours regulations for drivers involved in the distribution of heating oil and liquid petroleum gas to expedite the delivery of heating and fuel supplies.

Sittingbourne-Sheerness Railway Line

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he has had with  (a) Network Rail and  (b) South East Trains on the closure of the Sittingbourne to Sheerness line.

Chris Mole: Ministers at the Department for Transport have had no such discussions and we have no plans to close this line. A bus replacement service has run on a temporary basis during recent severe weather.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Birds: Conservation

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to increase numbers of farmland birds.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Agri-environment schemes, such as Environmental Stewardship, are one of a number of measures aimed at helping to meet DEFRA's target of reversing the decline in farmland birds by 2020.
	Following recommendations from the Review of Progress of Environmental Stewardship (2008), we plan to improve the scheme's delivery of farmland bird habitats by introducing new options, such as extended overwintered stubble, and modifying existing ones. We are also promoting better uptake of options of specific benefit to farmland birds through increased training and information provision for Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) through, for example, Natural England's ELS Training and Information Programme. We have also improved the targeting for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) for which farmland birds are a key priority and the subject of a number of specific projects promoting HLS across England, such as the South West Farmland Birds Initiative. Implementation of the review recommendations has already begun and further changes will be implemented during 2010.
	Natural England has a target to increase the total area of agricultural land in England being managed under agri-environment schemes to 70 per cent. by March 2011. This, in itself, should help deliver increased habitats for farmland birds. Natural England also has a target in 2009-10 to deliver a further 4,100ha of key arable farmland bird options through Environmental Stewardship-a 20 per cent. increase above the March 2008 baseline.
	The industry-led voluntary Campaign for the Farmed Environment should help to retain and exceed the environmental benefits provided by former set-aside land. The campaign promotes activities by farmers and land managers to secure environmental benefits in relation to farmland birds, resource protection and biodiversity provision. It includes a number of targets for June 2012 which will be of direct benefit to farmland birds, such as doubling the uptake of ELS in-field options, covering 40,000 hectares on top of current levels, and increasing uncropped land by 20,000 hectares from January 2008 levels. Natural England has also recently produced a joint leaflet-Farming for Birds-with the campaign and other partner organisations, such as the RSPB, aimed at improving ELS option selection and location in order to help increase farmland bird populations.
	 Source:
	Natural England targets can be found in Natural England corporate plan (2009-12)-70 per cent. target under 3.2.2 and the 4,100 hectares target (1.2.1)
	http://naturalengland.etraderstores.com/NaturalEnglandShop/Product.aspx?ProductlD=16f703f3-5b79-4068-a1cb-dd5ee0cf72b5
	Campaign for Farmed Environment targets can be found in the campaign's Memorandum of Understanding (copies laid in House Libraries).

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered as a consequence of bovine tuberculosis precautions in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) England in each of the last 24 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As data from Vetnet (the Animal Health Database) are produced three months in arrears, figures cannot be provided for the last three months. The following table shows the total of animals slaughtered(1) due to a TB incident in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) England in the last 24 months for which figures are available(2) (up to September 2009):
	(1 )Animals slaughtered include monthly numbers of cattle removed for TB control reasons (i.e. test reactors and direct contacts) from herds affected by a TB incident in each jurisdiction.
	(2 )Data from Vetnet are provisional and subject to change as more data become available.
	
		
			   England  Cumbria 
			  2009   
			 September 1,935 5 
			 August 1,478 5 
			 July 1,728 5 
			 June 1,996 5 
			 May 1,618 7 
			 April 2,490 5 
			 March 2,717 8 
			 February 2,592 5 
			 January 3,090 6 
			
			  2008   
			 December 2,502 101 
			 November 2,753 9 
			 October 1,977 25 
			 September 2,224 5 
			 August 1,587 5 
			 July 2,189 5 
			 June 2,070 5 
			 May 1,799 5 
			 April 3,373 89 
			 March 2,185 5 
			 February 2,185 5 
			 January 2,526 5 
			
			  2007   
			 December 2,202 5 
			 November 2,151 5 
			 October 1,924 5 
			  Note: To protect the anonymity of individual farmers, months with a slaughter count of less than 5 animals are given 5.  Source:  Vetnet-Animal Health Database.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Dan Norris: The core Department has produced four e-greetings cards which are environmentally friendly and cheaper than traditional paper cards. Production costs of the e-cards totalled some £156.
	DEFRA's policy is that official funds should not be used for departmental Christmas parties and decorations.
	All public expenditure has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury hand book on Regularity and Propriety.

Climate Change: International Co-operation

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials of his Department attended the Copenhagen climate change conference; and at what cost to the public purse.

Dan Norris: The Secretary of State and three officials attended the Forest Day event in Copenhagen on 13 December, and the Secretary of State and one official remained in Copenhagen to attend the Oceans Day event on 14 December.
	One official attended on 11 December to present the Convention on Biological Diversity's ad hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change report. He chaired the event and was nominated for and supported in this role by DEFRA.
	A total of £3,839.34 was spent on attendance. The breakdown of flights, accommodation, subsistence and transport costs is presented as follows. Accommodation covers hotel costs for four people for one night each.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Flights 2,032.09 
			 Accommodation 1,224.48 
			 Subsistence 137.77 
			 Transport/car hire 445

Departmental Buildings

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) area and  (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his Department.

Dan Norris: The Department's freehold vacant office estate amounts to an area of 1,014 sq m, with an estimated rental value of £53,000 pa. The freehold occupied office estate amounts to an area of 45,044 sq m, with an estimated rental value of £2,770,000 pa.
	The Department's leasehold vacant office estate amounts to an area of 22,433 sq m, with an estimated rental value of £4,717,000 pa. The leasehold occupied office estate amounts to an area of 166,831 sq m, with an estimate rental value of £31,454,000 pa.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department has allocated for  (a) year-end and  (b) in-year bonuses in 2009-10.

Dan Norris: An element of DEFRA's overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.
	Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent senior salaries review body.
	The following sections set out the estimated spend on non-consolidated performance payments for the 2009-10 financial year.
	 CORE-DEFRA - Including staff in Animal Health, Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Marine and Fisheries Agency
	The wages/salary budget for 2009-10 is £200.25 million, of which non-consolidated performance payments represents an estimated 1.5 per cent.
	 Rural Payments Agency
	The wages/salary budget for 2009-10 is £99.3 million, of which non-consolidated performance payments represents an estimated 0.5 per cent.
	 Centre for the Environment and Aquaculture Science
	The wages/salary budget for 2009-10 is £20.46 million of which non-consolidated performance payments represent an estimated 3.9 per cent.
	 Food and Environment Research Agency
	The wages/salary budget for 2009-10 is £31.42 million, of which non-consolidated performance payments represent an estimated 1.25 per cent.
	 Veterinary Laboratories Agency
	The wages/salary budget for 2009-10 is £41,143,891.11, of which non-consolidated performance payments represents an estimated 0.472 per cent.
	CEFAS has relatively higher non-consolidated pay when compared as a percentage against the DEFRA Network, because they have specifically worked to structure a total rewards package with a greater non-consolidated pay element that is directly performance based and must be re-earned each year. This places a greater link between performance and reward and while their percentage of non consolidated pay is larger than others this is more than offset by their consolidated pay (i.e. salaries) which is low relative to the DEFRA Network and Whitehall.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it remains his policy to introduce a ban on beak trimming of laying hens in 2011.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have accepted further advice from The Farm Animal Welfare Council, an independent advisory body, that a complete ban on beak trimming of laying hens should not be introduced from 1 January 2011 (as is currently in legislation), but should be deferred until it can be demonstrated reliably under commercial conditions that laying hens can be managed without beak trimming, without a greater risk to their welfare than that caused by beak trimming itself. The Government want to reduce the number of procedures that are defined in legislation as 'mutilations' and protect the welfare of laying hens, but a balance has to be struck between reducing the number of procedures carried out and ensuring that the birds do not suffer worse welfare insults, such as feather pecking and cannibalism.
	The Government will shortly issue a consultation on proposed amendments to the Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended) to remove the total ban on beak trimming, to allow for routine beak trimming of day-old chicks intended for laying to be done using the infra-red technique only.

Recycling: Calderdale

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much household waste Calderdale Council has recycled in the last five years; and whether the amount recycled in each of those years met his Department's targets.

Dan Norris: The following table shows tonnages and percentages of household waste sent for recycling, composting and reuse by Calderdale council for the financial years of 2004-05 to 2008-09.
	Data for years 2004-05 to 2007-08 are Best Value Performance Indicators 82a (dry recycling) and 82b (composting), while data for 2008-09 are in National Indicator 192, which includes dry recycling, composting and reuse.
	Tonnage for 2004-05 could not be provided. WasteDataFlow was introduced that year and data provided by local authorities were unreliable and were not published. The recycling rate for that year is taken from the Audit Commission's website.
	
		
			   Recycling/composting/reuse (tonnes)  Recycling rate (percentage)  Target (percentage) 
			 2004-05 - 17.05 (1)- 
			 2005-06 17,717 20.35 18 
			 2006-07 18,952 21.30 (1)- 
			 2007-08 22,011 24.92 20 
			 2008-09 21,279 25.84 (1)- 
			 (1 )No target set  Source: WasteDataFlow and the Audit Commission

River Lymington: Ferries

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies Natural England has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated to secure bathymetric and other data to measure adverse effects of ferry movements on the Lymington river mudflats and the effectiveness of potential mitigation and compensation measures.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Natural England has evaluated three studies on the risk of impacts of the W class ferry on the Natura 2000 sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Lymington, produced by: ABPmer; H R Wallingford; and Black and Veatch.
	Natural England has also commissioned and evaluated technical advice from H R Wallingford on the technical effectiveness of Wightlink's proposal to mitigate any adverse impacts of the W class ferries on these sites.

River Lymington: Ferries

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what budget has been allocated to the process of evaluating submissions to the consultation on the proposal to deposit dredge material on the Lymington mudflats scheduled to end on 22 January; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Natural England has an internal team to manage the stakeholder engagement process in relation to Wightlink's mitigation proposals. This team is supported by expert technical advice. No budget has been allocated for this exercise, the costs of which will be met from existing resources.

Sheep

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of records relating to sheep born in the UK that have been lost in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No estimate has been made of the number of records relating to sheep born in England that have been lost in each of the last five years.
	Sheep inspections and record keeping in Scotland and Wales are a matter for devolved Administrations.

Wood: Government Departments

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of wood-based products procured by the Government and its agencies in the last 12 months which come from  (a) Forest Stewardship Council-certified sources,  (b) Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification scheme-certified sources,  (c) other timber certification schemes and (d) non-certified sources; and what mechanisms are in place to monitor compliance with his Department's Buy Sustainable - Quick Wins minimum environmental product standards.

Dan Norris: From 1 April 2009 all timber and timber derived products purchased by the UK Government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies must comply with the UK Government's timber procurement policy. Only legal and sustainable or FLEGT licensed timber and wood products should be purchased. No distinction is made between forest certification schemes, and also no distinction between certification and other forms of evidence.
	Guidance is available on how to ensure purchased timber meets the UK Government legality and sustainability criteria. Please see the document UK Government timber procurement policy: Definition of 'legal' and 'sustainable' for timber procurement (TPAN April 2009) on the CPET website at:
	http://www.proforest.net/cpet/files/TPAN
	A recent report, 'UK Timber Industry Certification' by Timbertrends, concluded that in 2008 the proportion of certified products available to the UK timber supply chain by forest certification scheme was distributed as follows: FSC 51.5 per cent.; PEFC 31.5 per cent.; other schemes 0.5 per cent.; and 33.2 per cent. not certified. We assume that the proportion of certified timber and wood products purchased (with category A evidence) by the public sector reflects availability and with two thirds being FSC and one third being PEFC.
	This proportion also corresponds with CPETs experience. It should however be noted that the report quoted assessed the timber industry and for other product groups such as paper and furniture the proportions might not be the same.
	Furthermore, a recent study conducted by DEFRA and CPET 'timber reporting pilot study' published July 2009 and available on the CPET website
	http://www.proforest.net/cpet/files/CPET%20Reporting%20pilot%20study%20July%2009.pdf/view
	showed that implementation of reporting requirements across mandated bodies is not currently possible, but that assurance of implementation and compliance with the policy is a first step towards achieving meaningful data.
	DEFRA in conjunction with CPET has also started an awareness raising campaign and support program across Central Government as well as encouraging local authorities and the remainder of the public sector to voluntarily adopt the UK Government timber procurement policy.
	Support for delivery and compliance with Quick Wins, by central government departments, is overseen by the Centre of Expertise in Sustainable Procurement (CESP) in the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).

CABINET OFFICE

Central Office of Information: Consultants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Central Office of Information has spent on strategic consultancy in 2009-10; and which Departments received services or advice from such consultancy.

Tessa Jowell: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 7 January 2010:
	As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on COI Strategic Consultancy spend in 2009/10 (309832).
	Strategic Consultancy spend for the financial year 2009/10 cannot be provided until the figures have been fully audited and approved.
	COI spend figures for 2009/10 will be published in our annual report and accounts this summer.

Central Office of Information: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Central Office of Information has spent on its cost-benchmarking project.

Tessa Jowell: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 7 January 2010:
	As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on COI Cost-benchmarking 2009/10 (309845).
	The COI Cost-benchmarking project is an internal project and as such any costs associated with this would be internal staff time.
	This information is not held centrally and could only be made available at disproportionate cost.

Central Office of Information: Publications

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many copies of the Central Office of Information's book, How Public Sector Advertising Works, have been sold; and what income has been derived from these sales.

Tessa Jowell: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 7January 2010:
	As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on COI sales of the COI book, How Public Sector Advertising Works (309844).
	Sales of the book have so far generated total sales of £52,000.
	Copies of the book are also made available educational purposes.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which websites her Department's staff are blocked from accessing on departmental networked computers.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office Corporate IT System accesses the Internet via the Government Secure Intranet (GSI) services as provided by Cable and Wireless.
	In order to enforce the Cabinet Office HR 'Appropriate Usage Policy' for our IT systems we additionally use the website blocking system Websense Web Filter. The Websense Web Filter provides a list of categories to be blocked and URLs of sites within the category are updated on a daily basis. We use this to block the categories rather than specific web sites.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by her Department since 1 May 2008.

Angela Smith: No criminal offences have been created or abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by the Cabinet Office since 1 May 2008.

HEALTH

Cervical Cancer: Vaccination

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vaccinations against cervical cancer were provided in 2009.

Gillian Merron: In total, about 2,076,000 doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine were administered between 1 January and 30 November 2009 (December 2009 data are not available currently) as part of the HPV vaccination programme in England. Three doses of the vaccine are needed to ensure sufficient protection.

Cervical Cancer: Vaccination

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate has been made of the reduction in the average number of cases of cervical cancer which will be diagnosed each year as a result of the introduction of the policy of offering teenage girls vaccination against cervical cancer.

Gillian Merron: Immunising young women with the human papillomavirus vaccine could eventually lower the number of new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each year in England by approximately 1,300 from recent levels.

Departmental Billing

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in December 2009.

Phil Hope: The proportion of invoices paid within 10 days of receipt to commercial suppliers by the Department in December 2009 was 95.43 per cent.

Departmental Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) citizens' juries and  (b) summits have been hosted by his Department since June 2007; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event;
	(2)  how many citizens' juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Ann Keen: The Department recognises the important contribution that the public can make in developing policy and carry out a wide range of activities which allow ministers and officials to listen to and understand the views of the public and stakeholders in developing policy.
	Data from 2007 on the number of citizens' juries and consultation with random panels of people to aid decision-making by the Department are not readily available. Supplying the occurrences of citizens' juries and deliberative consultations would require a substantive investigation into all public engagement programmes undertaken by various divisions within the Department at a disproportionate cost.
	However, the Department does engage widely with the public using a number of methodologies which feed into the policy making process. These do on occasion include citizens' juries and summits and other events which can but do not always include ministerial attendance.
	Some examples of engagement events which involved Ministers were:
	NHS Next Stage Review-led by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Lord Darzi;
	(September 2007 events held in each strategic health authority and attended by various Ministers including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson and former departmental Ministers Lord Darzi, Ben Bradshaw, Dawn Primarolo and current minister Ann Keen);
	(January 2008 events again held in each SHA and attended by various Ministers including Lord Darzi and Ann Keen); and
	Primary and Community Care Review (April 2008 event attended partially by Ben Bradshaw).
	Some examples of extensive public engagement which did not involve Ministers include:
	Review into the Consequences of Additional Private Drugs for the NHS (2008): workshops with cancer patients, email consultation and the focus groups; and
	NHS Constitution (2008-09): A series of focus groups and a deliberative event with patients, the public and stakeholders.

Mental Health Services

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people were admitted to mental health units in each primary care trust area in each month of the last two years;
	(2)  how many people were admitted into mental health units in each primary care trust area in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The information has been placed in the Library.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance's report Joint Working? An audit of the implementation of the Department of Health's Musculoskeletal Services Framework.

Ann Keen: The Musculoskeletal Services Framework provides good practice guidance for the national health service on delivering care closer to home for people in the UK with bone and joint conditions. It was published as good practice guidance, and as such the Department is not mandating its implementation but continues to support the good practice promoted in the guidance.
	The Department has no plans to make a specific assessment of the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance's report Joint Working? An audit of the implementation of the Department of Health's Musculoskeletal Services Framework.

NHS Litigation Authority

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organisations achieved level  (a) 0,  (b) 1,  (c) 2 and  (d) 3 in NHS Litigation Authority assessments in each of the last three years; and if he will list those organisations in each such category.

Ann Keen: The data requested for each organisation are contained in the documents:
	Risk Management Assessment Levels 2006-07.
	Risk Management Assessment Levels 2007-08.
	Risk Management Assessment Levels 2008-09.
	Copies have been placed in the Library.
	The data are also available from the Factsheets (No. 4) in the publication section of the NHS Litigation Authority's website: www.nhsla.com

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 757W, how much has been paid to each legal firm employed to draft the contracts for the National Programme for IT.

Mike O'Brien: As part of the total sum for legal and commercial support relating to the national programme for information technology, monies paid to the legal firms in question include among a range of things, fees for the drafting of contracts. Information is not held in a form that makes it possible to identify payments made for work relating specifically to the drafting of contracts.
	Between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2009, the total fees paid to Allen  Overy amounted to £10,309,877 and to DLA Piper UK LLP £28,864,938, although Allen and Overy ceased to advise after 2006.

Obesity: Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of children in each multiple deprivation decile were classified as obese in 2009.

Gillian Merron: The information is not available in the form requested.
	However, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) provides data on the prevalence of obesity in children aged 4-5 years (reception year) and 10-11 years (year 6). Figures 13 and 14 in the NCMP report for 2008-09 provide information on the prevalence of obese children in reception and year 6 as measured by the index of multiple deprivation 2007. This publication has already been placed in the Library.

Orthopaedics

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) below-knee lower limb amputations and  (b) above-knee limb amputations have taken place in each strategic health authority in the NHS in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Tables providing the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) where there was a main or secondary procedure of below knee amputation; above knee amputations; other amputations; and amputation of foot or toe by strategic health authority (SHA) of treatment, have been placed in the Library.
	In 2006-07 there was a SHA configuration change, where 28 SHAs merged into 10. For this reason, data for 2006-07 to 2008-09 are based on the new configuration and the data prior to this are based on the old configuration.
	It should be noted that the number of FCEs does not represent the number of patients as a patient may have more than one episode within a year.
	Reference should be made to the footnotes and clinical codes when interpreting the data.

Stafford Hospital

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received requesting a public inquiry into Stafford Hospital under the Inquiries Act 2005.

Mike O'Brien: In the period since the Healthcare Commission published their report in March 2009, the Department has had requests for a public inquiry, for example from local Members of Parliament and from a local patient group, Cure the NHS.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airguns: Children

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures to control the sale of air rifles to children via the internet.

Alan Campbell: The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 introduced a number of changes to the controls on air weapons which will help prevent the unlawful sale of air weapons to minors The minimum age for purchasing an air weapon was increased to 18 and the final transfer of all air weapons sold by way of trade or business must be conducted on a face-to-face basis. This provides an opportunity to seek proof of identity if there is any doubt about the purchaser's age. These changes were introduced with effect from 1 October 2007 and their impact will be closely monitored together with all other controls on air weapons.

Asylum

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence there is that the policy before 2002 of allowing asylum seekers who had waited more than six months for a decision on their claim to apply for permission to work was a pull factor for asylum seekers to come to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government believe that managed migration is a valuable source of skills and labour to the British economy and there are recognised routes into the UK for those seeking to work. However, entering the country for economic reasons is not the same as seeking asylum, and it is important to maintain the distinction between the two.
	Giving asylum seekers or failed asylum seekers permission to work would be likely to encourage asylum applications from those without a well-founded fear of persecution, hence slowing down the processing of applications made by genuine refugees and undermining the integrity of the managed migration system. Indeed, asylum intake has dropped significantly since the policy change in 2002.
	This is why we do not generally allow asylum seekers to work while their claim for asylum is under consideration. The only exception is asylum seekers who have been waiting 12 months for a decision where this delay cannot be attributed to them. This is consistent with our obligations under the EC reception directive.

Asylum

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for permission to work were  (a) made by asylum seekers and  (b) granted in each year since 2000.

Phil Woolas: The requested information on the number of applications for permission to work made by asylum seekers and those granted since 2000 is not collated and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost through examination of individual case records.

Asylum

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the potential savings that could be made by allowing asylum seekers who have waited more than six months for a decision on their claim to undertake paid work so that they would not be dependent on support from the public purse.

Phil Woolas: No formal estimate has been made to date. However, the Government consider that while allowing asylum seekers to work may increase tax revenue this has to be balanced finely against the very real concern that allowing employment will act as a pull factor, and that the UK may subsequently receive an increase in the number of unfounded asylum applications as a result. We also have to consider the potential that this may have to delay the processing of asylum claims which would lead to more hardship, not less and more demands on the public purse as well as an increase in exploitation by traffickers.

Borders: Personal Records

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the date on which the e-Borders programme will be fully operational.

Phil Woolas: The e-Borders programme is expected to be fully operational by 31 March 2014, processing 100 per cent. of all passengers and crew into and out of the UK.
	e-Borders aims to capture 95 per cent. of passenger and crew movements by December 2010, covering all commercial traffic. It is expected that the remaining 5 per cent. including leisure boaters and the general aviation sector, will be providing travel document information data after 2010.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much his Department paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with his Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between his Department and Capita Group plc.

Phil Woolas: The Home Department does not retain a central register of companies that tender for contracts. A search of individual records for instances where Capita Group plc or its subsidiaries have submitted tenders in each of the last five years could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost, however, six contracts were awarded in this period.
	Inclusive of its agencies, the Department's total spend on Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries contracts in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2004-05 46.3 
			 2005-06 53.2 
			 2006-07 60.0 
			 2007-08 62.6 
			 2008-09 68.6 
		
	
	The majority of the spend derives from the Criminal Records Bureau's Disclosure processing contract with Capita Business Services Ltd. The contract was awarded in 2000 and runs for 10 years from service go-live which occurred in March 2002. This is the only contract held by the Department with Capita Group plc or its subsidiaries which expires after 2010. The outstanding monetary value of the Disclosures processing contract with Capita Business Services Ltd is £249 million.

Christmas

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.

Phil Woolas: My Department does not keep central records on the purchase of Christmas trees. At our Headquarters in 2 Marsham street the Christmas trees have been provided by the facilities management provider at no additional cost to the Department for this year and the previous two years. These are sourced from a company who provide a certificate of origin and environmental benefit. Before that trees were from sourced from the Prison Service. On disposal the trees are chipped and recycled.

Crime Prevention: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continuation of collaborative crackdowns on the illegal use of drugs and pubs in the city of Milton Keynes.

Alan Campbell: Investigations into allegations of illegal drug supply and consumption in licensed premises is a matter for the police, who prioritise resources towards tackling crime which causes the most harm.
	Many police forces undertake action targeting the night-time economy. This includes sniffer dog operations in and around pubs and clubs and the deployment of drug trace detection machines. The use of trace detection devices can be a deterrent for drug users and dealers, and provides reassurance to the community by showing that a high profile drugs initiative is in operation. The most effective response to tackling drug supply in licensed premises is through a partnership approach between the police, licensing officers and local authorities to identify hotspot bars, pubs and clubs and then working with licensees to reduce drug supply in their premises.
	The Government announced in March 2009 that the only central target for the police will be to increase public confidence. The target states that nationally, by 2012 60 per cent. of the public will feel confident that the police and local councils are tackling the crime and antisocial behaviour issues that matter most locally.

Criminal Records

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of white males who have a criminal record.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 12 January 2010
	The Police National Computer (PNC) is an operational tool and is not designed to produce the information requested. To do so would require software to be designed, produced and tested to interrogate the PNC. This would incur a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Conferences

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which conferences held overseas have been attended by civil servants based in his Department in the last three years; and what the cost to the public purse was of such attendance at each conference.

Phil Woolas: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Domestic Visits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many planned visits by Ministers in his Department within the UK were cancelled within 72 hours of the visit taking place in the last 12 months; and what the planned venue or venues were for each such visit.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office does not hold this information centrally, nor will it be able to provide this information without disproportionate cost.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many plasma screen televisions his Department has purchased since 2001; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such screens in each such year.

Phil Woolas: Central records on the purchase of plasma screens are not held.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: Display Energy Certificates (DEC) were introduced in 2008. OGC publish central Government Departments' Display Energy Certificate (DEC) operational ratings on a building by building level twice a year. The most recent data for the Home Office, published on 31 July 2009, include DEC ratings up to and including 28 February 2009 and can be seen via this link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Pan_Govt_DEC_Feb09.xls
	This information covers one Home Office Building, 16 UK Border properties and eight Identity and Passport Service buildings.
	Data to October 2008 can be seen via this link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Pan_Govt_DEC_Oct08.xls
	Data relating to the month ending 30 September 2009 will be published on 18 December 2009.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Alan Johnson: The following new offences have been created by secondary legislation since 1 May 2008:
	 The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2009
	Importation, exportation, production, supply and possession of Controlled Drugs-addition of new Class B and Class C drugs (Article 2).
	 The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2008
	Importation, exportation, production, supply and possession of Controlled Drugs-reclassification of certain drugs as Class B drugs (Article 2).
	No offences have been abolished by secondary legislation since 1 May 2008.

Departmental Research

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on unpublished research in  (a) 2009 and  (b) each of the last four years.

Phil Woolas: Most Home Office research reports are published except where the Home Office Chief Scientific Advisor decides not to publish in a Home Office series on the grounds of inadequate scientific quality following independent and external peer review, or if the results are badly out of date, or on national security or public interest grounds, or for operational reasons.
	The available information for the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 is shown in the following table. It includes the programme costs of the external research projects where a decision has been taken not to publish the research as a Home Office report or where the research has had a limited distribution. We have not included research which is ongoing and where no decision has yet been taken on publication. For 2009-10 around half of the cost is attributed to a project not published on national security grounds.
	
		
			  Costs of external research where a decision has been taken not to publish the research. 
			   Estimated external programme costs (£ excluding VAT) 
			 2005-06 84,000 
			 2006-07 10,000 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2008-09 253,000 
			 2009-10 273,000

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he last travelled by  (a) bus and  (b) taxi in the course of his official duties.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly uses public transport and walks to local engagements.

Deportation

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charter flights removing persons with no right to stay in the UK there have been in 2009; what the destination was of each such flight; how many individuals were removed on such flights; and what the cost to the public purse of such flights was.

Phil Woolas: The following figures show the total number of charter flights conducted by the UK Border Agency for the purpose of removing those with no right to remain in the United Kingdom, and the total number of individuals removed on those flights, from l January to 8December 2009.
	Number of flights-64
	Number of persons removed-1,973
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional and subject to change.
	In 2009 (to 8 December), charter flights were conducted to the following destination countries:
	Afghanistan
	Albania
	Democratic Republic of Congo
	Iraq
	Jamaica
	Kosovo
	Nigeria
	However, the UK Border Agency is unable to disclose the number of flights to each destination country, as this information is confidential for operational reasons.
	The UK Border Agency keeps records of the overall annual costs of charter flights by financial year. Figures for the financial year 2009-10 are not yet available, as they are subject to audit and may therefore change; however, for the financial year 2008-09, the cost of charter flights was £8,227,553.38.
	The Home Office also publishes statistics on the number of persons who were removed or departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis. Annual statistics for 2008 and the latest statistics for Q3 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

EC Immigration

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 734-5W, on EU law, to which  (a) 43 EU measures on asylum and migration and  (b) 15 measures on civil law the UK has opted in.

Phil Woolas: A list of measures the UK has decided to participate in through the opt-in arrangements under title IV of the treaty establishing the European Communities is shown at annex A placed in the House Library.

Entry Clearances

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what remedies his Department provides for those wishing to contest the decision to place them on the list of individuals excluded from the UK; what steps he takes to monitor the effectiveness of such decisions; and whether those placed on the list are informed of their inclusion.

Phil Woolas: An individual may contest a decision to place them on the list of those individuals excluded from the UK by seeking a judicial review of the exclusion decision. Where an immigration decision is taken to refuse or cancel leave, on the basis of the Home Secretary's decision to exclude, this refusal decision may provide a right of appeal. If evidence can be provided that an individual has recanted their extremist statements in a genuine, credible and public manner, their exclusion may be reconsidered by the Home Secretary.
	Decisions to exclude are normally reviewed every three years but otherwise remain in place unless the Home Secretary decides to lift the exclusion. An individual who has been excluded for engaging in unacceptable behaviour is notified of their exclusion where it is possible to do so.

Entry Clearances

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to process an application was for a  (a) Tier 1 (investor),  (b) Tier 1 (entrepreneur) and  (c) EU Association Agreement business visa for a foreign national whose application to visit the UK on commercial matters was granted in each month of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The following table illustrates by month the average time taken to process requested categories of visa applications over the last three years. Tier 1 of the points based system was introduced on 1 July 2008.
	
		
			  Average days to resolve applications 
			   Endorsement 
			  Issued month  Business-EC associate  Tier 1 (investor) migrant  Tier 1 (entrepreneur) migrant 
			  2007
			 January - - - 
			 February 0 - - 
			 March - - - 
			 April 1 - - 
			 May - - - 
			 June - - - 
			 July - - - 
			 August - - - 
			 September - - - 
			 October 3 - - 
			 November - - - 
			 December - - - 
			- 
			  2008- 
			 January - - - 
			 February - - - 
			 March - - - 
			 April 1 - - 
			 May - - - 
			 June 2 - - 
			 July - 3 4 
			 August - 7 - 
			 September - 11 8 
			 October - 25 2 
			 November - 14 3 
			 December - 5 12 
			 
			  2009
			 January - 29 13 
			 February - 16 2 
			 March - 10 15 
			 April - 9 16 
			 May - 8 13 
			 June - 9 7 
			 July - 12 2 
			 August - 12 10 
			 September - 10 7 
			 October - 11 5 
			 November - 15 4 
			  Note:  Tier 1 introduced 1 July 2008. 
		
	
	Quarterly information about the performance and processing times of each of our visa sections, against our target agreed customers service standards, is published on the following website:
	www.ukvisas.gov.uk.
	A guide to current processing times is also available on this website.

Entry Clearances

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 888-9W, on entry clearances, how many  (a) postal and  (b) premium applications for further leave to remain have been made under Tier 4 of the points-based system since April 2009; and how much revenue has accrued from fees for applications of each type since that date.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 14 December 2009
	The number of valid postal applications made for further leave to remain under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 is 68,777. The value of these applications is £25,058,389. The number of valid premium applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 is 10,780. The value of these applications is £6,233,100.
	The amount of revenue earned from fees from caseworking activities in respect of postal applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 is £14,762,673.
	The amount of revenue earned from caseworking activities in respect of fees for premium applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 is £6,030,150.
	This information is derived from internal management information systems. All figures from this source are provisional and subject to audit and amendment.

Entry Clearances: Graduates

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students who completed their qualifications at  (a) a further education college and  (b) a higher education institution have been granted leave to remain and sought employment under the Tier 1 (Post-study work) visa scheme since the introduction of the points-based system.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not centrally recorded and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bogus colleges have been closed in  (a) England,  (b) Bedfordshire and  (c) Luton in the last six months.

Phil Woolas: Within the last six months, 76 educational institutions have been found to be non bona fide as per the immigration rules, prior to the introduction of the points-based system. These institutions do not have Tier 4 licences, but being identified as non bona fide would not necessarily result in their closure, although it would result in the refusal of any outstanding overseas student applications.
	Since the introduction of the points based system, the UK Border Agency maintains a register of educational establishments that meet the requirements of Tier 4. Establishments that do not meet these criteria will have their application for a sponsor licence refused.
	Educational establishments that have been registered as a sponsor but found to no longer meet the requirements of Tier 4 have their licence revoked. As at 21 December, the licences for 14 establishments had been revoked. All of these are in England.

Exclusion Orders: International Cooperation

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK's list of persons who are to be denied travel to and admission into the UK is automatically shared with the border agency authorities of  (a) the Netherlands,  (b) other European Union member states and  (c) other states and jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 January 2010
	The UK Border Agency holds a watchlist of adverse information drawn from a variety of sources, including visa refusals, the police, SOCA and other Government Departments. The system is used by UK Border Agency staff for the purposes of national security and the detection and prevention of crime. Refusal of entry may be based on information from any of these sources.
	The UK Border Agency does not automatically share information held on the UK watchlist with The Netherlands. The only European member state that the UK Border Agency regularly shares information with, including that held on immigration watchlists, is the Irish Government.
	This is undertaken on a routine basis in some instances and on a specific, case-by-case in others. We have a longstanding policy not to disclose exactly what information is shared.
	Data sharing with the Irish Government remains a key area for increased co-operation between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and was recognised as such in the 'Strengthening The Common Travel Area' public consultation and subsequent response.
	Decisions as to whether it is appropriate and proportionate to share information held on the watchlist with authorities in other countries are made by the owners of that information, on a case-by-case basis.
	As the UK Border Agency does not own all of the data held on the watchlist, we cannot comment on the data-sharing policies of other data owners.

Foreign Workers: Entry Clearances

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many temporary visas have been issued to foreign nationals employed by IBM (India) to fulfil contracts between IBM and Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

Phil Woolas: This information cannot be retrieved centrally. It would be necessary to examine individual application forms and we could therefore provide the information requested only at disproportionate cost.

Fraud: Credit Cards

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce credit card fraud.

Alan Campbell: Figures published by the payments industry in October 2009 showed that card fraud losses overall fell by 23 per cent. to £232.8 million in the first half of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008.
	The Home Office continues to work closely with the payments industry and supports industry initiatives to help prevent card fraud such as Verified by Visa and Mastercard Secure Code, and the Be Card Smart Online Campaign.
	The Home Office actively supports the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit, a specialist police unit funded by the payments industry which investigates cheque and plastic card fraud where there is an element of organised criminal activity, and provides additional funds to the City of London Police to take on a lead force role in the investigation of serious and organised fraud. In addition the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police have made provision to establish a national police e-crime unit which has been set up to co-ordinate the law enforcement approach to all types of e-crime, including fraud.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals referred to the human trafficking national referral mechanism are  (a) being accommodated by a specialist accommodation provider,  (b) in an immigration removal centre and  (c) in prison.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 January 2010
	Between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009 there have been 348 national referral mechanism referrals where the individual was accommodated by a specialist accommodation provider, 27 cases where the individual was in an immigration detention centre and 22 cases where the subject was in prison or a young offenders institution.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many referrals of potential victims of human trafficking have been made to the national referral mechanism by each first responder agency.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 January 2010
	Between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009 there have been 527 referrals made to the national referral mechanism. The referrals were made by the following agencies:
	
		
			   Number of referrals 
			 UKBA 238 
			 Police 166 
			 Local authorities 57 
			 Poppy 27 
			 Kalayaan 19 
			 TARA 9 
			 Migrant Helpline 8 
			 CPS 2 
			 NHS 1 
			 Total 527

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many referrals of potential victims of trafficking to the National Referral Mechanism made since 1 April 2009 have received a  (a) positive and  (b) negative reasonable grounds decision; and in respect of how many such referrals (i) a decision is pending and (ii) no decision was made.

Phil Woolas: Between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009 there have been 527 referrals made to Competent Authorities within the National Referral Mechanism. The breakdown of Reasonable Grounds decisions are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Positive 301 
			 Negative 131 
			 Suspended 7 
			 Withdrawn 18 
			 No decision recorded 70 
			 Total 527 
		
	
	'Suspended' cases are where the individual has either absconded or is missing prior to the reasonable grounds decision being made.
	'Withdrawn' are where the individual has left the UK prior to the reasonable grounds decision being made.
	'No decision recorded' means the decision has not been officially logged with UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC). This is where the reasonable grounds decision is either still being considered or where the decision has yet to be recorded on the UKHTC system.

Immigration Controls

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex of 2 December 2009,  Official Report, column 752W, on immigration controls, which educational institutions have  (a) been granted sponsor licences since the inception of the points-based immigration system and  (b) had their licences revoked.

Phil Woolas: The list of colleges which are currently licensed under Tier 4 of the Points Based System is on the UKBA website at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pointsbasedsystem/registerofsponsors education
	To date, 14 colleges have had their licences revoked. Information on the names of which educational institutions have had their licences revoked cannot be disclosed on grounds of commercial sensitivity.

Islam4UK

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department plans to take steps against the founders of Islam4UK under racial hatred legislation.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 11 January 2010
	The actions of this group are of significant concern to the Government and an Order providing that Al Muhajiroun, Islam4UK, Islamic Path, Call to Submission and London School of Sharia are to be treated as alternative names for the proscribed organisation Al-Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect was laid in Parliament on Monday 11 January. This action will make membership of the organisation unlawful. The investigation and prosecution of offences under both proscription and race hate legislation are matters for, respectively, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. Should members of the public believe that members or supporters of this group have committed a racist hate crime then they should report the matter to the police.

Islam4UK: Internet

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to prevent the promotion through Islam4UK websites of the teachings of individuals who have been required to leave the UK as a result of their extremist views.

David Hanson: holding answer 11 January 2010
	The Home Office has no powers to remove or modify extremist material on websites. Where websites are identified to contain unlawful material, the police have powers under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006 to seek the removal or modification of that material.
	As my hon. Friend will be aware, on Monday my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary laid an order providing that the name lslam4UK, along with several others, be treated as alternative names for an organisation which is already proscribed under the names Al Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 16 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms N. Anjum.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 7 January 2010.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 12 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. Ishfaq.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 6 January 2010.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 25 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr E. Diala.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 7 January 2010.

Missing Persons

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of  (a) UK national and  (b) non-UK national missing persons of each age have been recorded by the Missing Persons Bureau in each year since 1997; and how many were subsequently found.

Alan Johnson: The information requested is given in the tables. 34,972 missing persons cases have been recorded by the Missing Persons Bureau between 1 January 1997 and 16 December 2009. Of these 17,641 are British, 14,365 are non-British. No nationality data are available for 2,966 cases. Note that these figures relate to incidents of missing rather than individuals; the same person can go missing several times.
	30,540 (87 per cent.) of these cases have subsequently been marked as 'closed' on the database (i.e. the missing person has returned or been located). Research suggests(1) that 99 per cent. of missing persons are located within one year of going missing. Not all cancellations are received by the Bureau. As force compliance with the code increases the percentage of closed cases on HERMES will increase.
	(1) Tarling, R. and Burrows, J. (2004) 'The nature and outcome of going missing: the challenge of developing effective risk assessment procedures', International Journal of Police Science and Management, Vol.6, No. 1, 16-26
	Data relating to missing cases by nationality (UK, non-UK or unknown) and age are given in the tables placed in the House Library. 'Closed' refers to the status of cases where the individual was subsequently found. Data relating to 'age' are given at the date the person went missing. Ages have been grouped together and where there are small numbers of cases (under five) in individual cells exact figures have not been provided to protect identity and maintain confidentiality.
	The HERMES database used for the recording of missing persons data is an operational database used for policing purposes. The data are normally only used for management information and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply to national statistics publications. The data are therefore provisional and may be subject to change.
	A code of practice for the collection of missing persons data was introduced in April 2009. Although limited data have been collected as some police forces have implemented the code, it is unlikely that any meaningful and complete national picture of missing persons will be available until early summer 2010, when all police forces will become compliant with the code. Meanwhile the available figures can be regarded as indicative only.

Sexual Offences: Taxis

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made an estimate of the number of incidents of  (a) rape and  (b) sexual assault attributed to drivers of (i) black cabs, (ii) licensed minicabs and (iii) unlicensed minicabs in the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The information requested cannot be provided as data on incidents of rape and sexual assault attributed to drivers of black cabs, licensed minicabs unlicensed minicabs are not reported to the Home Office.

Terrorism: Stop and Search

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) arrested and  (b) convicted since the enactment of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 for offences relating to the taking of photographs.

David Hanson: Section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 inserts a new clause (Section 58A) into the Terrorism Act 2000 which relates to the offence, inter alia, of taking photographs of members of the armed forces, police or security and intelligence services. The Home Office collates statistics on the number of terrorism arrests, charges and convictions. However, the data are recorded in a way which shows offences under S58 but does not show convictions under subsections of S58. These statistics were included in a Bulletin published for the first time on 13 May 2009 (Statistics on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes Great Britain 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008). The first edition of the Bulletin is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0409.pdf
	The second issue of the Bulletin was published on 26 November 2009 and is available via the following link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1809.pdf

Whistleblowers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Phil Woolas: It is not Government practice to release information where the numbers of staff involved are small, as to do so could identify the individuals involved.
	Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the standards and core values set out in the Civil Service Code. The Civil Service Code also provides for civil servants to raise matters of concern with the independent Civil Service Commissioners if they do not receive what they consider to be a reasonable response following departmental internal procedures. The Commissioners will also consider taking a complaint direct. Further guidance on whistleblowing is set out in the Civil Service Management Code and the Directory of Civil Service Guidance.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of days likely to be taken to  (a) deliver general election ballot papers to and  (b) return to the relevant returning officer ballot papers completed by members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan to the relevant polling station.

Bill Rammell: No specific estimate has been made for the number of days likely to be taken to deliver and return general election ballot papers from members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan to the relevant polling station.
	However, we take very seriously the need to ensure service personnel are able to vote. The MOD is working closely with the Electoral Commission and the Ministry of Justice to help service personnel understand their options for registering to vote and to support their participation in the forthcoming elections. We advise service personnel serving abroad to vote by proxy.

Air Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 15 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 801-02, on future defence programmes, what assessment has been made of the effects on the Royal Air Force's elements at readiness strategy of the reduction in Tornado and Harrier squadrons.

Bill Rammell: An analysis of defence priorities was carried out which concluded it was possible to drawdown the overall size of our Fast Jet Forces earlier than expected. As a result of this analysis, it was decided to make a reduction in the size of the Harrier force by one squadron and therefore close RAF Cottesmore and consolidate the Harrier force at RAF Wittering.
	Reducing the size of the Harrier force earlier than planned will not affect current operations, as the Tornado GR4 (the aircraft that replaced Harrier on Op HERRICK earlier this year) is proving to be extremely effective in Afghanistan.
	As announced on 15 December, we plan to reduce our Tornado and Harrier force by a further one or two squadrons but decisions on the make-up of our future force will be taken in the defence review.
	The MOD does not comment on the state of readiness of its force elements as this would constitute a risk to operational security.

Armed Forces: Housing

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what percentage of his Department's housing stock is void or uninhabited;
	(2)  how many void  (a) single living and  (b) service family accommodation units his Department has in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 11 January 2010
	The latest number of void Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in the UK and overseas are:
	
		
			   Location 
			   UK (as at  4 January 2010)  Overseas (as at December 2009) 
			 Total number of SFA 49,828 15,392 
			 Number of void 7,889 2.461 
			 As a percentage 15.8 16 
		
	
	Properties are void for various reasons, such as that they are awaiting routine moves of service personnel, improvement or modernisation work, demolition or disposal. While the Department is working hard to reduce the number of voids, there will always be a need for a management margin of properties to ensure they are available for service families.
	In 2008, the proportion of void SFA worldwide reached 21 per cent. Although extremely challenging, the MOD is driving hard to reduce the percentage of voids to the target management margin of 10 per cent. by 2012.
	Void Single Living Accommodation is defined as those bed-spaces which are available but not currently required for occupation by single service personnel. The most recent figures we have (December 2008) indicate that of the available 145,000 bed-spaces worldwide, some 18,000 (12 per cent.) were void. Of these some 13,000 (9 per cent.) were in the UK and 5,000 (3 per cent.) overseas.

Armed Forces: Housing

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on  (a) building and  (b) upkeep of armed forces' housing in each service in each year since 1996.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 October 2007,  Official Report, column 695W. The majority of the building of new Service Family Accommodation (SFA) since 1996 has been through Private Finance Initiatives. This has seen 1,391 new houses built by the Private Sector in Great Britain (GB) since 1998. The estimated capital value of these houses was some £212 million. Annual payments are being made to the contractors over the life of the contracts ranging from 20 to 30 years.
	In addition, the Department has directly invested in both the new build and major refurbishment of SFA. Due to the changed contractual arrangements and transfer of responsibility between various parts of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), expenditure in GB can be provided only on a consistent basis back to 2001-02.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Capital expenditure  Maintenance and upgrade 
			 2001-02 25.3 123.0 
			 2002-03 25.5 92.0 
			 2003-04 25.2 103.0 
			 2004-05 12.1 91.6 
			 2005-06 28.0 109.2 
			 2006-07 3.9 134.9 
			 2007-08 1.9 157.3 
			 2008-09 1.1 148.9 
		
	
	Expenditure elsewhere in the world has been through a large number of contractual arrangements managed throughout the MOD and the information could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
	The housing stock is not managed on a single service basis.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the NIITEK Husky Mine Detection System.

Quentin Davies: While it is planned to assess the NIITEK Husky Mine Detection System as part of a wider assessment, I cannot go into the specific details as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the operational security of our armed forces.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the armed forces have a requirement for a vehicle-mounted mine detection system.

Quentin Davies: A range of equipment is in service to counter the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and mines, but no single piece of equipment can provide complete protection. While it is impossible to protect troops from every eventuality, we do everything possible to tackle the risks posed by IEDs, both in terms of equipment capability, but also the critical areas of tactics and training. I cannot go into the specific details of technical solutions, such as electronic counter-measures, as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the operational security of our armed forces.

Departmental Buildings

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) area and  (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his Department.

Kevan Jones: Within Defence, the civil office estate is defined as that which is capable of being shared with other Government Departments. Information in respect of these offices will take some time to collect and verify. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
	Other office space outside this definition includes facilities within armed forces establishments and buildings. This information is not recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Domestic Visits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many planned visits by Ministers in his Department within the UK were cancelled within 72 hours of the visit taking place in the last 12 months; and what the planned venue or venues were for each such visit.

Kevan Jones: This information is not centrally held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Ministerial visits are made on the basis that they are provisional and subject to parliamentary and Government business. It is not normal practice of Government to report on cancelled visits.

Departmental Empty Property

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties owned by his Department had been unused for between one and five years in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland and  (c) the UK on the latest date for which figures are available.

Kevan Jones: Details of all properties of all types on the Ministry of Defence (MOD) estate that are unused and the length of time each has been so is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Further to my answer of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 828W, we have been able to assemble some details of void living accommodation. The following table details Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in the UK that has been unused for between one and five years. It has not been possible separately to identify SFA in England. The majority of these properties are owned by Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL) and are leased to the Department.
	
		
			  Number of SFA properties void between one and five years as at 12 January 2010 
			   Number 
			 England and Wales 1,784 
			 Scotland 173 
			 UK total (including NI) 2,077 
		
	
	SFA properties that have been void for the longest periods are those that are mainly held awaiting large future redeployments of personnel, pending return to AHL or awaiting demolition, or where decisions on the future of MOD sites have yet to be made. SFA may also be void where there is likely to be a long-term (rather than short-term) need for SFA in that area or where major modernisation or upgrade work is to be carried out.
	In those areas where void SFA is required in the long-term but not in the short to medium-term, the Department is actively seeking arrangements with local authorities, housing associations and private landlords to temporarily sub let properties.
	In 2008 the proportion of void SFA reached 21 per cent. Although extremely challenging, the MOD is driving hard to reduce the percentage of voids to the target management margin of 10 per cent. by 2012.

Terrorism

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are being detained by UK authorities  (a) under suspicion of and  (b) charged with terrorist offences in military operational theatres.

Bill Rammell: Members of the UK armed forces detain personnel only in Afghanistan. As of 31 December 2009, 15 people were held in detention by UK armed forces in Afghanistan. The UK is not responsible for charging detainees; this is the responsibility of the Afghanistan authorities once they are transferred from UK custody.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Low-carbon Technologies

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Department for Energy and Climate Change on policy to support companies developing low-carbon technologies.

Patrick McFadden: In July last year, together with the Department for Energy and Climate Change, we published the UK Low Carbon Industrial Strategy, which provides a strategic view of Britain's low-carbon strengths and opportunities for UK-based companies. It included the first investments from £405 million allocated at Budget to low-carbon industries. In December's pre-Budget report, we committed a further £150 million for low-carbon investment. This money will go to sectors such as wind and wave power, low-carbon vehicles and green manufacturing.

Further Education

David Chaytor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government plan to take to encourage mature students and part-time students to undertake courses; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: We continue to support a wide range of flexible provision including foundation degrees, e-learning, Train to Gain and employer co-funding to increase participation among mature and part-time students.

Sony Ericsson: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Sony Ericsson on its decision to close a research and development facility in Coventry.

Patrick McFadden: I met with local MPs on this issue before Christmas. The Secretary of State has discussed the closure of Ansty Park at the highest level in Ericsson, probed the company's plans, and pressed it to consider any possible collaborations which might preserve at least some employment at the site.

National Minimum Wage

Natascha Engel: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy that the standard national minimum wage rate applies to all people of working age.

Patrick McFadden: The independent Low Pay Commission advises Government on the national minimum wage and in their most recent report they confirmed that youth rates were justified, but in line with the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission we have agreed to bring 21-year-olds on to the adult rate. This will happen from October this year.

Grocery Ombudsman

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department plans to announce its decision on the Competition Commission's recommendation on a grocery supply chain ombudsman.

Danny Alexander: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department plans to announce its decision on the Competition Commission's recommendation on a grocery supply chain ombudsman.

Kevin Brennan: My Department published the Government's response to the Competition Commission's recommendation for the creation of a grocery supply chain ombudsman on 13 January.
	Government have accepted the need for independent enforcement of the groceries supply code of practice (GSCOP) and plan to consult in February on who that body might be and the powers that it might have.
	Copies of the Government's response have been placed in the Library of the House and it is available on the BIS website.

Horizon

Jacqui Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received form sub-postmasters on the effects on them of use by the Post Office of the Horizon computer system; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: I have, in recent months, received a small number of representations from hon. Members, and one direct from a sub-postmaster, about the Horizon computer system. Issues relating to the Horizon system are operational matters for Post Office Ltd., which investigates all concerns raised by sub-postmasters about Horizon and will continue to do so if any are raised.

South Devon: Regeneration

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on Government policy for economic regeneration in South Devon.

Rosie Winterton: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on economic regeneration including that in South Devon. In addition I meet with Regional Development Agencies on a regular basis, including meetings with the Regional Minister for the South West, and I visited the South West in September.

Muireann McLaughlin

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to respond to the recommendations made by Sheriff Mackie of Alloa Sheriff Court in his judgment on the fatal accident inquiry of Muireann McLaughlin published in May 2009.

Kevin Brennan: The Department has considered seriously all the recommendations made by Sheriff Mackie. We feel his recommendations regarding regulations and labelling are more than adequately dealt with under the Machinery Directive as well as the General Product Safety Directive. The recommendation relating to raising public awareness about the potential hazards internal blind cords can cause is being taken forward with the blind and shutter industry and others. The Department does not intend to respond formally to the sheriff.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department and its predecessor since 1 May 2008.

Patrick McFadden: 229 statutory instruments made by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and its predecessors, have come into force since 1 May 2009. To manually assess these to establish what criminal offences have been created or abolished would involve disproportionate cost.

Mergers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many mergers of companies have taken place in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) England in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics 1 have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking 'how many mergers of companies have taken place in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) England in each of the last three years' (309524).
	The Office for National Statistics collects information on UK Mergers and Acquisitions through quarterly surveys looking at both cross border and domestic transactions. Unfortunately these surveys are only able to provide data for the UK as a whole, meaning that regional analysis is not possible.
	Data on the number of domestic (UK companies acquiring other UK companies) and inward (foreign companies acquiring UK companies) transactions from q1 2007 to q3 2009 are provided below.
	
		
			  Number of inward and domestic mergers and acquisitions (over 50 per cent. ordinary shares), United Kingdom, Q1 2007 to Q3 2009 
			  Reference period  Number of inward acquisitions  Number of domestic acquisitions 
			  2007   
			 Q1 78 291 
			 Q2 105 323 
			 Q3 113 349 
			 Q4 94 295 
			 2007 Q1-4 total 390 1,258 
			
			  2008   
			 Q1 113 265 
			 Q2 85 298 
			 Q3 84 197 
			 Q4 69 220 
			 2008 Ql-4 total 351 980 
			
			  2009   
			 Q1 47 209 
			 Q2 37 127 
			 Q3 32 115 
			 2009 Q1-3 total 116 451

Renewable Energy: Employment

Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have been employed in the renewable energy sector in each year since 2003; and what recent assessment he has made of the potential for the creation of jobs consequent on the Government's steps to encourage the use of renewable energy.

David Kidney: I have been asked to reply.
	The renewable energy sectors are new and emerging sectors that are not explicitly identified within the traditional statistical classifications.
	Although there will be some displacement as we restructure our economy, the Renewable Energy Strategy will create significant job opportunities. Based on information in a report produced by Innovas for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in 2009, 'Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services: an industry analysis', we estimate that in 2007/08 up to 390,000 people were employed in the renewable energy sector, including bioenergy employment.
	Based on Innovas projections and Labour Force Survey data, we estimate that the Renewable Energy Strategy, combined with a growing market for renewable energy across Europe and globally, could increase UK employment in the renewable energy sector by up to a further 500,000 people by 2020.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent from the public purse on  (a) the Skills Pledge and  (b) the Our future. It's in our hands campaign to date.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not hold this information. Geoff Russell, the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) acting chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with further information.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 23 December 2009:
	I am writing in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question that asked the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much has been spent from the public purse on (a) the Skills Pledge campaign and (b) the 'Our future. It's in our hands' campaign.
	Both the Skills Pledge and the 'Our Future. It's in our hands' campaigns commenced in 2007.
	1. The Skills Pledge
	The Skills Pledge is a voluntary, public commitment made by an organisation to invest in the skills of its workforce. It's a promise that the employer will work to realise the potential of all their employees by developing their basic skills and working towards relevant, valuable qualifications.
	The amount of monies spent by the Learning and Skills Council on the public promotion of the Skills Pledge through advertising, Public Relations and online marketing, including associated production costs, since 2007 totals: £592,454 (excluding VAT)
	2. The Skills Campaign - 'Our Future. It's in our hands
	The Skills campaign was designed as a three year campaign to positively change attitudes for skills, where young people, adults and employers demand skills and qualifications because they recognise the social and economic benefits they bring for themselves and their businesses.
	The amount of monies spent by The Learning and Skills Council on the public promotion of the 'Our future. It's in our hands' campaign through advertising, Public Relations and online marketing including associated production costs, since 2007 is: £14.843m (excluding VAT).

WORK AND PENSIONS

Cold Weather Payments

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which weather stations are used in  (a) Orkney and  (b) Shetland to determine cold weather payments.

Helen Goodman: Kirkwall weather station covers Orkney and Lerwick weather station covers Shetland.

Cold Weather Payments

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether she has had recent discussions with the Met Office on the inclusion of the wind chill factor in the methodology for calculating cold weather payments; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment her Department has made of the merits of taking account of the wind chill factor in the methodology for calculating cold weather payments; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: The cold weather payment scheme does not take account of wind chill factors, and there are currently no plans to change this.

Compensation: Accidents

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the effect of an award of accident compensation on entitlement to  (a) state benefits and  (b) state pension; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There is a capital disregard for personal injury payments in income support, jobseeker's allowance, employment and support allowance, and in housing benefit and council tax benefit for claimants who have not reached the minimum qualifying age for pension credit.
	The disregard applies indefinitely to the value of a trust fund where the personal injury payment has been put into a trust and also where there is the right to receive payments from the trust. Payments made from the trust would be treated as income and disregarded in full when they are received. This disregard only applies to personal injury payments if they were made in respect of the claimant or their current partner. Where the claimant receives a personal injury payment made in respect of a deceased partner the disregard does not apply.
	Where a personal injury payment has not been put into trust it is disregarded for 52 weeks from the date it is paid to the claimant or their partner, or until they no longer have any part of the payment left, whichever date is sooner. Any subsequent payments made as a result of the same personal injury (for example, where instalments are made) would not have a separate 52 week disregard but would come under the original disregard period.
	The capital value of any personal injury payments held under the Court of Protection, and the right to receive funds from that payment, are disregarded. Payments not in a trust and not held under control of the Court of Protection are treated as capital.
	Entitlement to state pension is not affected by income or capital. For pension credit, and housing benefit and council tax benefit for those who have reached the minimum qualifying age for pension credit, any personal injury payments made for the claimant or their partner are disregarded indefinitely.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her Department's expenditure as a proportion of the UK's gross domestic product was in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was formed in 2001 from the Department of Social Security (DSS), the Employment Service (ES) and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), and information since the creation of the Department is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Gross domestic product( 1)   (£ billion)  DWP total expenditure( 2)   (£ billion)  Ratio total: GDP (percentage) 
			 2001-02 1,031.5 107.6 10.4 
			 2002-03 1,092.1 112.1 10.3 
			 2003-04 1,157.4 108.7 9.4 
			 2004-05 1,214.7 118.9 9.8 
			 2005-06 1,270.8 123.6 9.7 
			 2006-07 1,346.2 126.7 9.4 
			 2007-08 1,418.2 133.3 9.4 
			 2008-09 1,434.9 142.7 9.9 
			  Source s : (1) Gross Domestic Product (GDP): provided by Office for National Statistics (published via the HM Treasury website). (2) DWP: Departmental Report 2009 and 2007 and Departmental Benefit Expenditure Tables.

Departmental Work Experience

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many graduate internships her Department has provided in the last 12 months; how many such internships were subsequently withdrawn; for what reasons; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 12 January 2010
	DWP has advertised 82 Graduate Internship positions via the Graduate Talent Pool website since the Programme started in July 2009.
	Three positions have had to be withdrawn. Two positions were withdrawn as internal candidates filled the positions, while the other was withdrawn due to lack of funding.

Disability Living Allowance: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in 
	(1)  the Leeds city area were claiming disability living allowance in each of the last five years;
	(2)  Leeds West constituency were claiming disability living allowance in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance, cases in payment in Leeds local authority area and Leeds West parliamentary constituency 
			   May 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Leeds Local Authority area 32,710 33,230 34,050 34,790 35,980 
			 Leeds West Parliamentary Constituency 4,200 4,340 4,450 4,580 4,790 
			  Notes:  1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Cases in payment show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Driving

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive  (a) a vehicle for which (i) her Department and (ii) one of its executive agencies is responsible have valid driving licences and  (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties for (A) her Department and (B) one of its executive agencies have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated.

Jim Knight: In respect of staff driving a vehicle for which (i) the Department (ii) one of the Department's executive agencies is responsible:
	Before authority is given to use such a vehicle, the employee's driving licence will be checked by their line manager to ensure they have a full current licence which is valid for the vehicle they will be using.
	The manager must also ensure that there are no periods of disqualification in force. Details of the check must be recorded. The check should be carried out at least once per year. The manager should record details of the check as follows:
	Driver name;
	Date of licence check;
	Disqualifications, if any; and
	Date next check due.
	Employees with endorsements for theft of vehicle or taking without consent (unauthorised taking) are not given permission to drive such vehicles.
	An employee cannot drive any such vehicle if they are currently disqualified from driving or their licence is currently withdrawn.
	Where staff who drive their own vehicles in the course of their official duties for (A) the Department and (B) one of the executive agencies for which the Department is responsible, the manager must ensure that the insurance conditions for the vehicle are satisfied.
	Guidance to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties, is published on the Department's intranet to inform drivers of road safety while carrying out official duties, and, for drivers of the fleet of leased vehicles provided for the use of staff of the Department and its executive agencies, additional road safety guidance is provided on the leasing company's dedicated website.
	Line managers must satisfactorily complete a work-related road safety checklist with an individual member of staff before approving an individual's business journey for the first time. The line manager must review the checklist annually as a minimum.
	In respect of what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties, drivers must report all accidents involving vehicles while on official business to their line managers.
	In addition, where accidents occur in a vehicle provided for the driver, the driver must report the accident to the vehicle provider.
	In terms of whether such reports are investigated, in the case of vehicles provided for the driver, vehicle providers have in place their own mechanisms for accident and claims management.
	In the case of staff driving their own vehicles, the staff member's own insurance company would handle accident and claims.

Employment Services: Autism

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Jobcentre Plus makes adequate provision to meet the requirements of people with autism who use its services.

Jonathan R Shaw: Jobcentre Plus advisers support autistic people who are seeking employment and help with their applications for benefit. Where the customer has more complex support needs they can be referred to a Disability Employment Adviser. The Disability Employment Adviser will work with the customer to agree an action plan to help get them into work. They can advise on suitable employment opportunities and approach employers on the customer's behalf. If more in depth support is needed they can arrange for an occupational health assessment and help to be provided by a work psychologist.
	Jobcentre Plus also has a number of specialist programmes that help disabled people, including people with autism, move into paid work, some of which are only accessible via the Disability Employment Adviser. These include Work Preparation, Residential Training and WORKSTEP (a programme of supported employment).
	People with autism going into paid work may be able to get support from Access to Work. The Access to Work team can provide practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers to help them overcome work related obstacles resulting from disability. It does this through a system of grants towards the cost of providing support, such as a job coach to settle an autistic customer into work. The customer can also be supported at work by Access to Work paying for awareness training on autism to be delivered to the customer's work colleagues.
	The Disability Employment Adviser will be able to put the customer in touch with the relevant Access to Work site which takes applications or Access to Work information and contact details can be found on the Jobcentre Plus and Directgov websites.
	Jobcentre Plus has had contact with the National Autistic Society and has provided a range of information including contact centre scripts and details about the training advisers receive.

Ice and Snow

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will hold a consultation on the merits of using unemployed people to clear snow from outside the homes of disabled people; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Government have already put in place a number of programmes in which unemployed people undertake work experience and volunteering placements that deliver benefit to the community. However, the overriding aim of these programmes is always to provide activities that will equip jobseekers with the right skills and experience to help them move back into work.
	Through our New Deal programmes, many thousands of jobseekers have been involved in activities that have delivered benefit to their local community or the environment. The Community Task Force, due to be launched at the end of this month as part of the Young Person's Guarantee, will match young unemployed people to work experience placements that deliver community benefit.
	And in April last year, we launched a scheme to match jobseekers who have been unemployed for six months to relevant work-focussed volunteering opportunities, many of which also deliver environmental or community benefit.
	We do not specify the exact nature of the placements that should be delivered through these programmes, rather ask providers to match jobseekers with placements that will best equip them to return to work. It is possible that activities such as snow clearance could be included in a programme of community works at a local level, but this would depend on local conditions and providers' view of the activities that best suit their client group.

Pathways to Work

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of  (a) primary contracted and  (b) sub-contracted employment support providers have withdrawn providing employment support services under the Pathways to Work Programme in each of the smallest geographical units for which figures are available since the programme's inception; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 12 January 2010
	The Department for Work and Pensions contracts with prime contractors. It is for them to manage the relationship with sub-contractors on the basis of their commercial judgement and their view of what best meets the needs of customers. As Provider-led Pathways to Work develops, we would expect to see some changes in sub-contracting arrangements in the light of experience and in response to changing market conditions.
	No prime contractors have withdrawn from delivering Pathways to Work provision. There were 79 sub-contractors delivering Pathways to Work when contracts were let. Some of these organisations were sub-contracting to more than one prime contractor and some were delivering in more than one location.
	Of the original 79 sub-contractors involved in delivering Pathways to Work, six (8 per cent) sub-contractors have withdrawn from delivery. Four of these sub-contractors were delivering in the Kent, Surrey and Sussex areas. The remaining two sub-contractors were delivering in Devon and Cornwall and the Black Country districts respectively.

Social Security Benefits

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 786W, on social security benefits, how many of the households cited in the answer are in  (a) socially-rented,  (b) privately-owned and  (c) privately-rented housing.

Helen Goodman: Of the 4 million households in England where all of the benefit units were in receipt of at least one of income support, council tax benefit, housing benefit, jobseeker's allowance, or pension credit:
	2.2 million live in socially rented housing;
	1.1 million live in housing they own themselves or are purchasing with a mortgage; and
	0.7 million live in privately rented housing.
	 Source:
	Family Resources Survey 2007/08. This survey is known to under-record benefit receipt so the estimate presented here should be treated with caution. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 0.1 million.

Social Security Benefits: Autism

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Minister in her Department is responsible for policy on  (a) services provided by Jobcentre Plus for and  (b) the eligibility for benefits of people with autism.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for all policy on benefits and services provided by this Department and its agencies for people with autism.
	As the Minister for Disabled People, I am responsible for ensuring that all disabled people, including people with autism, are able to access the appropriate help. Jim Knight, the Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, has ministerial responsibility for Jobcentre Plus, and the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh, is responsible for its administration.

Social Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the terms equivalent level of support and no cash losers used by her Department are regarded as synonymous for the purposes the proposals in the Government's Social Care Green Paper.

Jonathan R Shaw: As we said in the Green Paper, if we do reform disability benefits for older people, anyone receiving an affected benefit at the time of reform would continue to receive an equivalent level of support and protection. We have confirmed that this means they would not experience a cash loss as a result of any such reforms. This is consistent with our Green Paper position.

Social Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government's policy of no cash losers on the reforms proposed in the Social Care Green Paper;
	(2)  whether a person in receipt of  (a) attendance allowance and  (b) disability living allowance prior to the introduction of the proposals contained in the Government's Social Care Green Paper would continue to receive the full social care entitlement following the introduction of those proposals;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of implementing the Government's policy of no cash losers in respect of the Social Care Green Paper;
	(4)  what estimate she has made of the number of people who would be eligible for  (a) attendance allowance and  (b) disability living allowance on existing criteria who would cease to receive assistance under each proposal set out in her Department's Green Paper on Social Care;
	(5)  pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of 8 December 2009,  Official Report, column 206, what plans the Government has to disburse attendance allowance and disability living allowance or a cash equivalent through local authorities.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have not taken any decisions on whether some benefits for older people will be reformed in the new care and support system. If disability benefits for older people are reformed as part of the National Care Service, those receiving the affected benefits at the time of reform would continue to receive the same level of cash support. We will give more details about the National Care Service offer in due course.

Social Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the relationship between the group of people who receive (i) attendance allowance and (ii) disability living allowance and groups of people who would receive support under the proposals in the Government's Social Care Green Paper.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have not taken any decisions on whether some benefits for older people will be reformed in the new care and support system. If we do decide to integrate some benefits for older people into the new care and support system, we will provide further details in our White Paper.
	The Personal Social Services Research Unit, which is part of the London School of Economics, has been commissioned by the Department of Health to conduct detailed financial modelling of the new care and support system. Their methodology and interim report was published on their website in July:
	http://www.pssru.ac.uk/pdf/dp2644.pdf
	and in the impact assessment published alongside the Green Paper. This work is ongoing. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.

Unemployment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to reduce unemployment.

Jim Knight: We are taking decisive steps to reduce unemployment. As part of the Government's commitment to support people into work, £5 billion has been made available since November 2008 to offer extra support to jobseekers to help them find work at all stages of their claim.
	The Department has quadrupled the available funding for the Rapid Response Service, which provides advice and support to customers facing redundancy. Also, we launched an enhanced offer to all jobseekers at day one of their claim which includes targeted group sessions in jobsearch techniques, access to local employment partnership vacancies and help with the costs of getting back to work through the Adviser Discretionary Fund.
	At the six month point in a claim, all jobseekers now have access to a substantial package of extra support including recruitment subsidies, work-focussed training places, volunteering opportunities and support to become self-employed.
	If an individual remains on benefits after 12 months they will be referred to the provider-led flexible new deal programme (currently being delivered in half of the country) and will receive tailored, responsive support to help them get into work. In areas where the flexible new deal is yet to be introduced, customers will access more intensive back to work support through the original new deal programmes.
	The Government have also targeted significant new resource on young people in recognition of the particular challenges young people face during a recession. On 29 July, the Government launched a campaign called Backing Young Britain, calling on businesses, charities and government bodies to create more opportunities for young people, such as internships, work experience placements, links to mentors and apprenticeships. Almost 12,000 graduate internships have already become available and thousands more opportunities will follow early in 2010. Over 360 organisations are supporting the campaign, with numbers growing all the time.
	Furthermore, on 15 December 2009, we announced in the White Paper Building Britain's Recovery: Achieving Full Employment that from January 2010, we will introduce a stronger Young Person's Guarantee, so that all 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months will be guaranteed a job, work placement or work-related skills training. In addition, we will offer all young people access to a named personal adviser at the start of their claim and build in more time with an adviser throughout their claim.
	As part of that guarantee, the Future Jobs Fund will create 170,000 jobs: 120,000 jobs for young people, and the remaining 50,000 jobs for people of all ages in unemployment hotspots throughout the country. These are real paid jobs-this is job creation, not an employment programme. The first five bidding rounds are already creating up to 98,000 jobs and the first jobs started in October 2009.
	Further measures to tackle unemployment were also announced in the White Paper. These include:
	from early 2010, access to the self-employment credit will be available from 13 weeks of unemployment;
	for customers aged 50 and over, we will provide new specialist back to work support by using external providers to address their specific needs; widen access to work trials and ensure that those with significant barriers to employment get early access to the six month offer;
	an enhancement of the better off in work credit, so that it will ensure that long- term benefit recipients will be at least £40 a week better off in work. Implementation of the new credit will begin in October 2010; and
	a commitment to implement from October 2011 an improved earnings disregard for lone parents with children aged less than seven-a new tapered disregard will be tested in the progression to work pathfinders.

Unemployment: Graduates

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her Department's estimate is of the number of people who graduated from university in 2009 and who are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in  (a) England and  (b) each local authority in the North West; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change: International Co-operation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the role played by  (a) China and  (b) the US at the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009; and if he will publish each document submitted by the UK to other national delegations during the conference.

Joan Ruddock: Both China and the US were active participants at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit and were among the countries represented in the discussions and drafting of the Copenhagen Accord. The UK negotiates as part of the EU and therefore all formal submissions we have made to the UNFCCC have been as part of the EU. The EU made one submission during the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference-the EU presented its fifth National Communication under the UNFCCC on 7 December. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Fines

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what powers  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have to impose administrative penalties; what the statutory basis is for each such power; and how much (i) his Department and its predecessor and (ii) each of its NDPBs have recovered in administrative penalties in each year since the inception of his Department.

Joan Ruddock: Under the Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1995, Ofgem is able to impose penalties upon licence holders who breach licence conditions and under the Competition Act 1998 it may impose penalties for breaches of competition law. Details of the penalties Ofgem has imposed on individual companies under these provisions can be found on their website. The following table details the total value of penalties paid since these provisions were introduced in 2000.
	
		
			   Total value of fines paid (£) 
			 2002 2,000,000 
			 2003 200,000 
			 2004 2,100,000 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 0 
			 2008 (1)25,000 plus 41,600,000 
			 2009 3,800,000 
			 (1 )Reduced on appeal to the CAT to £30,000,000; pending decision by court of appeal. 
		
	
	These sums are paid into the consolidated fund.
	This apart, the request would involve disproportionate cost to answer in its entirety.

Offenders

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many employees of his Department have been convicted of a criminal offence of each type in each year since 1997.

Joan Ruddock: DECC was formed on 3 October 2008. There are no records of any staff having been convicted of any criminal offences since the Department's formation.

Renewables Obligation

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the level of investment risk to companies participating in the construction of  (a) non-offshore wind and  (b) other renewable energy projects in circumstances in which the number of renewables obligation certificates (ROCs) to be allocated is not determined until the time of commissioning of a project; and for what reasons he decided that the number of ROCs to be allocated in respect of offshore wind projects should be determined at the construction stage.

David Kidney: The number of ROCs to be allocated to any project is determined at the time of accreditation by Ofgem. In order to provide certainty to investors, wholesale revisions to the banding regime (ROCs/MWh for each technology) will only be made in accordance with a scheduled banding review. Details of any changes to banding levels following a scheduled banding review will be published 18 months before they will take effect.
	In response to evidence of a significant increase in the costs of offshore wind projects reaching financial close, we conducted an early review of the banding level for offshore wind. As part of the review process, we consulted during summer 2009 on two proposals for providing an uplift in support for offshore wind projects: one based around the timing of contract-signing and completing a foundation in the water, and an alternative proposal based around accreditation. These proposals were intended to ensure that any additional support was directed at those projects which we believed would not otherwise be able to proceed. In light of responses to the consultation, we decided to determine eligibility based on accreditation, in line with established RO policy for all other technologies.

Wind Power: Noise

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2010,  Official Report, column 636W, on wind power: noise, for what reasons he endorses the current maximum permitted night-time noise limit from onshore wind turbines.

David Kidney: As stated in my answer of 7 January 2010, the 43 decibel night-time limit in the ETSU-R-97 guidance is derived from the 35 dB(A) sleep disturbance criteria referred to in Planning Policy Guidance 24 (Planning and Noise).
	ETSU-R-97 describes a framework for the measurement of wind farm noise and gives indicative noise levels thought to offer a reasonable degree of protection to wind farm neighbours, without placing unreasonable restrictions on wind farm development or adding unduly to the costs and administrative burdens on wind farm developers or local authorities. The suggested noise limits in ETSU and their reasonableness have been evaluated with regard to regulating the development of wind energy in the public interest. We have no robust new evidence to suggest that the current guidance is not achieving its aim.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advertising campaigns his Department has been responsible for in each of the last three years; which such campaigns  (a) commenced and  (b) continued in 2009-10; and what the cost of each such campaign has been.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not been responsible for any advertising campaigns in the UK in the last three years. DFID works in over 100 countries across the world and advertising can play a significant role in achieving development programme objectives including the promotion of health issues. It is not possible to disaggregate these costs from development programme expenditure without incurring disproportionate costs.

Departmental Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on  (a) print,  (b) online,  (c) television and  (d) radio advertising in each of the last five years; how much has been spent on advertising in 2009-10 to date; and what percentage of advertising expenditure in each year was managed by the Central Office of Information.

Michael Foster: DFID works in over 100 countries across the world and advertising can play a significant role in achieving development programme objectives including the promotion of health issues. It is not possible to disaggregate these costs from development programme expenditure without incurring disproportionate costs.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  whether any  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information in electronic format sought from his Department by the Iraq Inquiry have not been disclosed owing to the Government's obligations to foreign governments or international bodies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) documents and  (b) other types of information held in electronic format at each level of security classification the Iraq Inquiry has requested from his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of the  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information held in electronic format at each level of security classification requested by the Iraq Inquiry have been provided to it by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 840-41W, by the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Angela E. Smith), who has answered on behalf of all Departments.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

CAFCASS

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many forms Family Court advisers engaged by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service are required to complete in respect of a  (a) private and  (b) public law case;
	(2)  what change in caseload the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service experienced between June 2008 and December 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what progress the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has made in agreeing with the relevant trade unions a new workload guideline; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the average caseload was for Family Court Advisors in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in London on the latest date for which figures are available; and what the average caseload was for such advisors on 31 March 2008;
	(5)  what the outcomes were of the time recording exercise undertaken during April 2008 on the time being spent on public and private family law cases;
	(6)  what the average payment made to front-line agency  (a) staff and  (b) managers employed by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(7)  how many staff of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service have been disciplined because of poor performance in the last 12 months;
	(8)  how many complaints the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has received from staff in relation to bullying in the last 12 months;
	(9)  what classification the 2004 Workload Agreement of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service gave of a reasonable time to complete a private law case;
	(10)  whether family court advisors in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service have been issued with guidance on making telephone calls rather than making family visits in respect of certain cases;
	(11)  how many  (a) individual and  (b) collective staff grievance procedures at the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service were outstanding on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(12)  how many agency staff the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has employed in the last 12 months;
	(13)  whether staff of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service have been issued with guidance on reducing costs in relation to  (a) travel and  (b) conducting interviews in people's homes;
	(14)  how much the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has spent on agency staff in each of its regions in 2009-10;
	(15)  how many staff of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service have been issued with a performance improvement notice in the last 12 months;
	(16)  how many Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service staff have been the subject of a quality improvement review in the last 12 months;
	(17)  how many  (a) family court advisors and  (b) self-employed contractors have ceased to work for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in the last 12 months;
	(18)  how many staff of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service have been the subject of formal performance and conduct procedures in the last 12 months;
	(19)  what the average caseload was for a Family Court Adviser in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service on 31 March 2009;
	(20)  whether the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has ceased to commission self-employed contractors;
	(21)  whether Family Court Advisers in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service have been directed not to attend local authority review meetings.

Dawn Primarolo: These are operational matters for CAFCASS. I have asked the chief executive of CAFCASS, Anthony Douglas, to respond by letter to the hon. Member. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House Libraries.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for how many months ContactPoint has operated without its children missing education function; and what steps have been take to restore that function.

Dawn Primarolo: ContactPoint's Children Missing Education (CME) report function is working properly and is available to all local authorities in England.
	On 2 November 2009, the Department raised an issue with the supplier of the ContactPoint system, following the identification by a local authority that it could no longer access the CME report function. This issue was raised using the standard problem resolution process and the functionality was restored on 18 December 2009.

Free School Meals

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authority areas in each region have been selected for comprehensive free school meals pilot schemes.

Diana Johnson: As part of the pre-Budget report, the Chancellor has announced an extension to the universal free school meal pilots for primary children so that there is a pilot in each English region. No decisions have been taken yet as to which local authority areas will be selected. He also announced a phased roll out of free school meals to primary children from low income families, who are in receipt of work-related benefits, starting with 50 per cent. of eligible children in September 2010, and with full roll out in 2011.
	Three free school meal pilots started last term. Durham and Newham are piloting universal free school meals for all primary pupils. Wolverhampton is piloting extended eligibility to primary and secondary pupils whose parents are on working tax credit and have an income up to £16,040.

Gifted Children: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in Leeds North West constituency have participated in gifted and talented programmes in each year since 2000.

Diana Johnson: The Department does not collect data about participation in gifted and talented programmes. Through the school census schools are asked to confirm the number of gifted and talented pupils they have identified.

Health Education: Sex

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) mechanisms will be used and  (b) timetable has been set for introducing new guidance on the teaching of sex and relationships education.

Diana Johnson: We have announced our intention to issue revised guidance to schools on sex and relationships education in response to the recommendations of the steering group that led the Review of SRE in Schools. We plan to consult on the revised guidance in this year, with a view to making it available to schools for the start of the next academic year. The guidance will offer advice to schools for implementing SRE under the current legislative arrangements and will be revised if needed, subject to the passage of the Children and Families Bill which seeks to make PSHE statutory.

National Safeguarding Delivery Unit: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) mechanisms and  (b) performance measures are used to assess the effectiveness of the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Safeguarding Delivery Unit (NSDU) published an interim progress report and work programme for 2009-10 on 18 December 2009 available at
	http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction= productdetailsPageMode=publicationsProductld=DCSF-01181-2009
	The NSDU reports progress against agreed milestones on a monthly basis to a cross-Government programme board of senior officials. The unit also reports into the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Families, Children, and Young People through a new ministerial sub-group comprising the Secretaries of State from DCSF, the Department of Health, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office. This Ministerial sub-group meets quarterly with the Chief Adviser on the Safety of Children, Sir Roger Singleton, to monitor progress and tackle any barriers to joint working that might exist across safeguarding services.
	The chief adviser on the Safety of Children is due to submit his first annual report by April 2010.
	This will include commentary on the progress being made by the unit and the impact of work taken forward.
	The unit has established a partnership network of around 100 key stakeholders and frontline professionals. This network provides collective experience and expertise at the frontline and enables the NSDU to secure direct input and feedback which will inform its future priorities. A further NSDU work programme will be published in spring 2010.

Ofsted: Public Appointments

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who is responsible for appointing the Children's Rights Director.

Dawn Primarolo: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills is responsible for the appointment of the Children's Rights Director.

Personal Social and Health Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the criteria to be used by school governors to determine whether the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education under the provisions proposed in the Children, Schools and Families Bill reflects a reasonable range of religious, cultural and other perspectives.

Diana Johnson: The legislation will introduce a set of guiding principles that govern the way in which the PSHE as a subject should be delivered. Schools Governors will be under a duty to ensure these principles act as safeguards against inappropriate teaching.
	There is a wide range of perspectives on the teaching of PSHE but we believe that schools should have flexibility to tailor their approach to reflect: the ethos of the school; the views of parents and pupils; and the needs of individual and diverse nature of local communities, subject to covering the content prescribed in the statutory programmes of study.

Personal Social and Health Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what inspection criteria would be applied to the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education under the provisions proposed in the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

Diana Johnson: We are not proposing any changes in the Children, Schools and Families Bill to the current arrangements for inspecting PSHE when it becomes statutory in September 2011, as this subject is already covered along with other subjects within Ofsted's existing statutory inspection framework.

Personal Social and Health Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he consulted governors of faith schools on the provisions proposed in the Children, Schools and Families Bill in relation to teaching of the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4 in advance of the introduction of that Bill.

Diana Johnson: In coming to the decision to make PSHE a statutory part of the curriculum we have taken into consideration a broad range of views from our stakeholders and this included Governors of faith schools.
	The work that QCDA did throughout the consultation collated views from Governors based on-line surveys as well as through focus groups and mini-conferences.
	In their responses Governors recognise that good quality PSHE, taught in a sensitive and appropriate way and with the proper safeguards in place (in line with the ethos and faith of the school) is vital in promoting the health and wellbeing of young people as they prepare to tackle the challenges of adult life.

Personal Social and Health Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to issue guidance to the governors of faith schools on the teaching of the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4 under the provisions proposed in the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

Diana Johnson: There is a provision within the Children, Schools and Families Bill that will allow the Secretary of State to issue any guidance by Order as part of statutory PSHE in September 2011.
	Governors in faith schools currently have a statutory responsibility to take account of existing and revised guidance in particularly that relating to the provision of sex and relationship education.

Schools: Snow and Ice

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what advice he has given to  (a) schools and  (b) education authorities on teachers using electronic communications to undertake distance teaching for pupils at schools closed because of inclement weather; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Department published guidance, Supporting Learning during Extended School Closures, in 2008, and made some minor amendments to it in 2009. The guidance can be found on the Department's teachernet website at:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id-14642
	The guidance was located within our guidance on pandemic flu. We added to our guidance on severe weather a link to this guidance in the first week of January 2010. We also sent an e-mail to all schools and local authorities that week reminding them of the guidance on severe weather.

Special Educational Needs: Expenditure

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the total cost to his Department was of educating children with special education needs in residential special schools in each local authority in England in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 6 January 2010
	The requested information is not collected centrally by the Department. However, during the 2009-10 financial year local authorities in England budgeted net expenditure of over £5.2 billion for the provision of education for children with special educational needs. It is not possible to identify how much of this £5.2 billion was for the total cost of educating children with special educational needs in residential special schools as the data are not collected in that way.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) projects and  (b) units he expects to be built in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area under the Kickstart scheme round (A) 1 and (B) 2; and how much funding has been allocated to each area for each round.

John Healey: Full details on round one of the Kickstart scheme can be found on the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) website. Regional information on the short-listed projects from round two are also on HCA's website. These projects will now be subject to rigorous due diligence testing, and details on approved projects, by local authority area, will be available once this process is complete.

Affordable Housing: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of funding allocated to the National Affordable Housing Programme for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12 has been spent.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency will report in their annual report and financial statements spend through the National Affordable Housing Programme in 2009-10 after the end of the financial year. No expenditure has yet occurred in 2010-11 or 2011-12.

Affordable Housing: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has allocated for affordable housing in Tamworth constituency in the next three years.

John Healey: The Department does not itself directly take steps to match demand for social rented housing in local authorities. We encourage authorities to assess the housing needs of their area as part of their strategic housing role and then work in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) with developers (using planning policies e.g. section 106 agreements) and local registered social landlords (RSLs) to deliver the required number of homes through our National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP).
	During the period 2008-11 this is expected to deliver a total of 123 affordable homes with over 70 of these homes being for social rent. The total investment will be over £3.8 million in Tamworth borough council.
	As part of the Government's £1.5 billion housing pledge we increased investment in NAHP, alongside extensions to the Kickstart programme to unlock stalled sites and local authority new build. In round two of Kickstart, which developers were able to bid for, one scheme has been short-listed within Tamworth. This will now be subject to due diligence. No applications were received from Tamworth borough council for the local authority new build programme.

Council Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) projects and  (b) units he expects to be built in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area under the Local Authority New Build round (A) 1 and (B) 2; and how much funding has been allocated to each area for each round.

Ian Austin: Bids for funding under the local authority New Build programme are assessed by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and published by them on their website. The information on the allocation of funding to local authorities and regions under round 1 of bidding was published in September 2009. Information about allocations under round 2 has now been published by the HCA following the announcement of successful round 2 bids on 11 January.

Fire Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to fire and rescue authorities on the conduct of their duties in relation to the requirements of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

Shahid Malik: Fire and Rescue Service Circular 6/2008, issued on 29 January 2008, informed fire and rescue authorities of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 (the Act), in particular the exception in section 6 of the Act and the limits of that exception as it applies to the Fire and Rescue Service.
	The circular explains that Communities and Local Government cannot give a definitive legal ruling on the application of the Act to fire and rescue services-that is a role that only the courts can fulfil-and suggests that fire and rescue authorities may wish to seek their own legal advice.

Home Information Packs: Crime

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) estate agents and  (b) individuals have been (i) fined and (ii) prosecuted for selling a home without a home information pack.

John Healey: I refer to the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 8 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 902-03W.

Housing: Construction

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of new build  (a) socially rented properties and  (b) affordable homes which were completed in the London borough of (i) Bexley, (ii) Bromley, (iii) Croydon and (iv) Greenwich in the last three years for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: The following table shows the number of new build social rented and affordable homes (social rent, intermediate rent and low cost home ownership) in the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon and Greenwich each year since 2006-07.
	
		
			   Social rent  All affordable 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Bexley 50 130 10 100 250 10 
			 Bromley 80 130 100 150 280 140 
			 Croydon 220 290 220 390 550 320 
			 Greenwich 280 170 160 470 360 260 
			  Source:  Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and local authority returns to CLG. Figures have been rounded to nearest 10 units. 
		
	
	Not all affordable housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. For example, in 2008-09, a total of 150 affordable homes were provided in Bexley (new build and acquisitions), 340 in Bromley, 600 in Croydon, and 480 affordable homes were provided in Greenwich.

Housing: Construction

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses are expected to be built in  (a) the Bournemouth area,  (b) the Dorset area and  (c) the South West in 2010.

Ian Austin: As part of the refresh of Local Area Agreements, including the LAA for Dorset, the Government office for the south west is currently discussing with local authorities expected house building for 2009-10 and 2010-11 to reflect realistic assumptions. I expect those discussions to be concluded in March 2010. Until these Local Area Agreement negotiations are concluded, no figures are currently available.
	As part of the response to the recession, the Government will be investing a further £1.5 billion as part of the housing pledge to build an extra 20,000 new affordable homes for rent and low cost sale. This will also create an estimated 45,000 additional jobs in the construction and related industries.

Housing: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  from which  (a) funding stream and  (b) annual budget the additional resources for new homes announced by the Minister of State for Housing on 30 December 2009 will come;
	(2)  what contractual conditions will apply to housing associations which obtain the funding announced by the Minister of State for Housing on 30 December 2009.

John Healey: The allocations announced on 30 December 2009 form part of the existing budget of the Homes and Communities Agency's National Affordable Housing Programme. As such, housing associations receiving allocations through this funding stream will be subject to the terms and conditions of grant set out by the HCA as part of their agreements with their investment partners. Information on these terms and conditions are contained within the Capital Funding Guide published on the HCA website.

Housing: Lincolnshire

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been allocated to North East Lincolnshire under the  (a) Kickstart Round One,  (b) Local Authority New Build and  (c) National Affordable Housing Programme scheme since the inception of that scheme; and how many houses have been authorised for construction in North East Lincolnshire under each such scheme.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 12 October 2009,  Official Report , column 329W, which placed information on the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing programme expenditure at local authority level in 2008-09 and to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 30 November 2009,  Official Report , column 499W, which placed expenditure information for the same programme for the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 in the House Library.
	Indicative allocations for each region in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are shown in the Homes and Communities Agency's Corporate Plan which can be found on their website:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/
	Allocations made to registered social landlords and other bodies by local authority area are published on the HCA website on a quarterly basis in their regional investment statements. Allocations made in any one year may not deliver the completed homes in that same year due to the time taken to build the homes.
	Information on the number of affordable homes completed in North East Lincolnshire can be found in the Affordable Housing Live tables published on the Departments website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/affordablehousingsupply/livetables/
	No funding has been allocated to the authority area under Kickstart round one and no application was received from North East Lincolnshire for the local authority New Build programmes.

Housing: Sustainable Development

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals for a code for sustainable buildings which includes an assessment of  (a) whole-life performance and  (b) building type.

Ian Austin: We will be launching a consultation on proposed revisions to the existing Code for Sustainable Homes shortly. The consultation will focus on aligning the code with ongoing developments in zero carbon homes policy, including consulting on the energy efficiency standard; and developing opportunities for streamlining in the rating process as well as increasing awareness of the code and encouraging good practice.

Housing: Women

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps the Government have taken to provide sufficient accommodation for women who have been subject to domestic abuse or forced marriage;
	(2)  what steps the Government have taken to provide sufficient accommodation in Coventry for women who have been subject to domestic abuse or forced marriage; how much funding is being provided for such accommodation in 2009-10; and what steps the Government are taking to re-integrate such women into the community.

Ian Austin: Decisions around the provision of accommodation and support services for victims of domestic abuse and forced marriage are a local matter and it is the responsibility of the individual local authority to plan and commission or provide as they see fit.
	Government strengthened the homelessness legislation in England by extending the priority need categories (that is, those people who must be secured accommodation if they have become homeless through no fault of their own). The additional categories included people who are vulnerable as a result of fleeing accommodation because of violence or threats of violence likely to be carried out In 2003 the Government announced major investment in refuge provision in England in 2003-06. A total of £34 million capital was allocated and 511 units of accommodation were refurbished or newly built. More recently the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme (2005/07) funded six new and refurbished refuges at a cost of £4 million. If new provision is required then bids can be made to the National Affordable Housing Programme.
	CLG provides essential revenue support, via housing related support services, for victims of domestic violence through the Supporting People Programme. £64.5 million in 2007-08 up from £61.6 million in 2006-7. In Coventry £849,229 (2007-08) was spent on housing related support services for women at risk of domestic violence.
	This Government take extremely seriously the issue of protection for people at risk of domestic violence and we must understand whether there is appropriate provision out there. That is why we have commissioned new research which will identify the current housing options available to households at risk of domestic violence, and to assess whether this provision meets current need. This will report next year.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1295W, on mass media, which search terms have been monitored by  (a) the Homes and Communities Agency,  (b) the Tenant Services Authority,  (c) the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit and  (d) his Department since January 2009.

John Healey: The search terms monitored by the Homes and Communities Agency are:
	 Homes and Communities Agency-main agreement
	Homes and Communities Agency
	English Partnerships
	Milton Keynes Partnership Committee
	Places of Change
	Invest Milton Keynes
	Milton Keynes plus World Cup
	 HCA London - regional office agreement (paid for by London team)
	HCA London Board
	David Lunts
	Kidbrooke
	Ferrier Estate
	London-Wide Initiative
	Blackwall Reach
	Greenwich Peninsula
	Greenwich Millennium Village
	Croydon Town Centre
	Robin Hood Gardens
	Barking Town Centre
	Wembley
	Cane Hill
	Elephant and Castle
	Thames Gateway
	Woodberry Down
	Lower Lea Valley
	 HCA Academy agreement (paid for by academy)
	Academy for Sustainable Communities
	Place-Making
	ASC
	Brownfield Skills
	HCA Academy
	Homes and Communities Academy
	Homes and Communities Agency Academy
	Delivering Better Skills for Better Places
	Regeneration
	The search terms monitored by Tenant Services Authority are:
	Tenant Services Authority/TSA
	Homes and Communities Agency/HCA-only in conjunction with social housing
	Communities and Local Government/CLG-only in conjunction with social housing
	Housing Corporation
	Housing Associations
	Social Housing
	National Conversation-a TSA led initiative to get tenants and social landlords' views and ideas on housing
	In addition the following are spokespeople for the Tenant Services Authority:
	Clare Miller
	Phil Morgan
	Richard Moriarty
	Claer Lloyd-Jones
	Anthony Mayer; and
	Peter Marsh
	The public relations firm employed by the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit advise them of any mentions of the organisation in national and trade media. The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit do not hold a separate list of search terms.
	In respect of search terms monitored by the Department I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1491W.
	Since then the search terms have been updated to include:
	John Denham
	Rosie Winterton
	Shahid Malik
	Barbara Follett
	Re-Settlement Package (for Zimbabwe)
	Tenant Services Authority
	Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme.
	The names of Ministers who no longer work for the Department have been removed, as well as several other search words:
	Avian Flu
	Bird Flu
	Haringey Social Services
	Haringey Council

Newham Homes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what inspection the Audit Commission has undertaken of Newham Homes.

Barbara Follett: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 14 January 2010:
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission inspected Newham Homes Landlord Services in October 2006. The report of the inspection was published in January 2007. The service was judged as 'good'/2 star with promising prospects. The service is due to be re-inspected under the arm's length management organisation (ALMO) inspection programme in February 2010.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the properties receiving empty property business tax relief in each of the last five years were empty for more than six months; and how much was paid out in empty property business tax relief for such properties in each of those years.

Barbara Follett: This information is not held centrally.
	In 2009-10 all empty properties with rateable values up to £15,000 are eligible for full relief from business rates. This temporary measure will continue for a further 12 months-to cover the whole of 2010-11-and the threshold will be uprated to £18,000, in line with the general movement of property values at revaluation. 70 per cent. of all properties are under this threshold and, if empty, will not be liable for rates in 2010-11. This temporary measure is providing real help to owners to manage short-term pressures in a difficult property market.

Ordnance Survey: Finance

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Re-mapping the future for Ordnance Survey-making public data public consultation, how much funding the Government plans to provide to Ordnance Survey for the provision of free mapping.

Ian Austin: Ordnance Survey currently covers all its costs-including investment-from the revenue it earns from licensing its data to customers in both the private and public sector. The Government will shortly be consulting on a proposal to make available certain Ordnance Survey datasets for free re-use to support greater transparency, improved public services and economic growth. There will be more detail in the consultation.

Planning Permission: Totnes

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will direct the local planning authority to conduct an environmental impact assessment in respect of planning application 52/1442/09/F Rowes Farm Development, Aish Road, Stoke Gabriel, Totnes.

Ian Austin: Officials in the Government office for the south west carefully considered this matter following a request from a third party to overturn the local planning authority's decision that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was not required to accompany a planning application for development proposed at Rowes Farm, Stoke Gabriel.
	The proposed development was not considered by the Government office as likely to have significant environmental effects such as to merit an EIA, even though the proposals involved land in an area of outstanding natural beauty and thus a 'sensitive area' under the terms of the relevant regulations, A letter sent on 12 January informed the third party and was copied to the local planning authority.

Regional Government

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether successor bodies to regional assemblies will be designated as public authorities for the purposes of  (a) equality and human rights and  (b) freedom of information legislation.

Rosie Winterton: Following the commencement of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act joint responsibility for the single regional strategy will rest with the Responsible Regional Authorities who are regional development agencies and Local Authority Leaders' Boards. All authorities fulfilling a public function are bound by the Human Rights Act.
	In relation to information regional development agencies are non-departmental public bodies and so the NDPB model publication scheme applies to them. The application of part 5A of the Local Government Act applies to leaders' boards (but only in their non-joint working) as it applies to a principal council.
	The Freedom of Information Act applies to RDAs. It is the Government's intention that FOI legislation should apply to leaders' boards and they will be added to the schedule 1 of the FOI Act at the next opportunity.

Regional Planning and Development

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 20 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1401W, on regional development agencies, which bodies will be designated as regional planning bodies following the transfer of functions from the regional assemblies.

Rosie Winterton: Following the commencement of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act no one will be designated as Regional Planning Body. Joint responsibility for the single regional strategy will rest with the Responsible Regional Authorities who are regional development agencies and Local Authority Leaders Boards.

TREASURY

Cheques

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the proposal to discontinue bank cheques; and what steps he plans to take to protect the interests of  (a) elderly and  (b) other bank customers who do not have access to internet banking in circumstances in which that proposal is implemented.

Stephen Timms: The Government have received various representations, from members of Parliament and the public, about the Payments Council's decision that cheques should be phased out to a 2018 timetable due to the declining trajectory of usage.
	Before any final decision is made in 2016, and ahead of the closure of the cheque clearing system, the council has committed to ensuring that adequate alternatives are in place for all users of cheques, in particular for users who are highly dependent on this method of payment.

Departmental Buildings

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) area and  (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his Department.

Stephen Timms: There is currently 282.79 m(2) Net Internal Areas (NIA) of vacant space and 22,942.76 m(2) (NIA) of occupied space within 1 Horse Guards road. This building is managed under a PFI contract where the freehold reverts to the Crown at the end of the term. Valuation of land and buildings is set cut in the Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 (HC 611). Vacant space is not separately valued.
	There is currently no vacant space within 6,574.30 m(2) of occupied, rented space at Rosebery Court in Norwich. Leasehold premises are not valued.

EC Budget

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on  (a) the overall size of the EU's 2010 budget and  (b) the UK's contribution to that budget.

Ian Pearson: At Budget ECOFIN (18 November) the UK secured a 2010 budget that was below the level of the Commission's proposals and almost €5 billion (4 per cent.) lower than proposed by the European Parliament, saving the UK taxpayer almost £0.5 billion. This is in line with our overriding objectives of promoting Budget discipline and value for money for taxpayers. This outcome has been made possible through close engagement with the Commission and our European partners throughout the 2010 budget negotiations process.
	The UK is required to make contributions to the EC Budget under obligations imposed by the Treaties. The European Communities Act, Section 2 in particular gives effect within the UK to Community law. Contributions to the annual EC Budget are determined in accordance with the Own Resources Decision (ORD), unanimously agreed by all member states and ratified in accordance with their constitutional requirements.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of alcohol duty fraud;
	(2)  what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs is taking in co-operation with European counterparts to reduce levels of alcohol duty fraud;
	(3)  how many allegations have been received by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the last 12 months of the sale of alcohol on which duty has not been paid; and how many such allegations have been investigated by HMRC.

Stephen Timms: The Chancellor announced at Budget 2009 the revised 'tackling alcohol fraud' strategy which has three principal themes:
	Strengthening our operational responses;
	Reducing opportunities for fraud;
	Closing off illicit supply chains.
	The strategy is set out in further detail in Renewal of the Tackling Alcohol Fraud strategy, published in April 2009 and available at
	www.hmrc.go.uk-budget_2009/tackling_alcohol_2850.htm
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is making good progress on all three strands of this strategy. The regulatory framework is being strengthened to reduce opportunities for fraud; the new operational model for HIV1RC to respond to fraud using new approaches and the full range of HMRC's powers is on track to be implemented from April 2010; and HMRC is working with the large brewers and wholesale buying groups on developing practical measures to close off illicit supply chains.
	HMRC co-operates with its European counterparts on excise matters, including alcohol fraud, under the terms of EC Council Regulation 2073/2004 (on the administrative co-operation in excise matters) and the Naples II Convention. Additionally, over the past eight years the UK has worked with counterpart revenue authorities on the development of the EU-wide Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS). This provides an electronic system for monitoring the movement of excise goods in duty suspension within the EU and comes into effect on 1 April 2010.
	In the period from 1 January to 31 December 2009 HMRC received approximately 650 allegations relating to alcohol. All allegations are actioned. A range of responses, including formal investigations, are considered as appropriate depending on the seriousness of the allegation and quality of intelligence provided. For operational reasons and to protect third party confidentiality HMRC cannot comment on how many allegations have been formally investigated.

Financial Transactions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of financial transactions made in the UK were made by  (a) debit card,  (b) credit card,  (c) online transactions other than bank transfer,  (d) bank transfer,  (e) cash payment,  (f) cheque and  (g) another form of payment in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The number of financial transactions made through different forms of payments is provided in the following table using data provided by the Payments Council. Data for 2009 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Number of payments 
			  (millions) 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Debit card 3,690 4,084 4,512 4,939 5,384 
			 Credit card 1,949 1,924 1,929 1,954 1,986 
			 Online transactions 45.0 74.2 115.3 158.5 173.1 
			 Bank transfer 4,819 5,364 5,605 5,804 6,011 
			 Cash 24,667 23,968 23,069 22,408 22,569 
			 Cheque 2,088 1,931 1,778 1,600 1,403 
			 Other 277 276 271 305 303 
			 Total 37,535 37,621 37,281 37,170 37,830 
		
	
	The following table, using the data provided by the Payments Council, shows the proportion of financial transactions made by the various forms of payment.
	
		
			  Percentage of payments made by:  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Debit card 9 8 10.9 12.1 13.3 14.2 
			 Credit card 5.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.2 
			 Online transactions 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 
			 Bank transfer 12.8 14.3 15.0 15.6 15.9 
			 Cash 65.7 63.7 61.9 60.3 59.7 
			 Cheque 5.6 5.1 4.8 4.3 3.7 
			 Other 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 
			  Notes: 1. Percentages are expressed in terms of the number of transactions made. 2. Bank transfers include Direct Debits, Bacs Direct Credits, Standing Orders, CHAPS and one-off payments made through the Faster Payments Service. 3. Online transactions include PayPal and other internet payment methods. Bank transfers and online payments made by credit card and debit card are excluded.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the net change in aggregate rateable values consequent on the new system of rating ports for the purpose of calculating business rates.

Ian Pearson: The net change of aggregate rateable values at 1 April 2005 is estimated to be an increase of £1.2 million
	The assessment of separate occupations within ports for business rates is not a new system and was not introduced by the Valuation Office Agency's review of ports.

Patents

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of progress by his Department in the development of the patent box policy as set out in the 2009 pre-Budget report.

Stephen Timms: The Chancellor announced in the 2009 pre-Budget report that the Government will introduce a patent box, applying a 10 per cent. rate of corporation tax to income from patents from the start of the 2013-14 tax year. The Government will consult widely on the final design in time for Finance Bill 2011.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment his Department has made of its 2006 Flexible Global Reach, Future Manning Strategy in respect of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: I have been asked to reply.
	As was announced on 7 December 2009 in the Treasury's Operational Efficiency Programme Asset Portfolio document, we will be looking at the current arrangement for delivering maritime operational support through the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. This review will include assessing the 2006 Flexible Global Reach Future Manning Strategy.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations his Department expects to consult as part of its Operational Efficiency Review in respect of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Kevan Jones: I have been asked to reply.
	We are currently drawing up a list of key stakeholders to be consulted during the review of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Stakeholders from outside the MOD include the Department for Transport, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and Nautilus International. I plan to meet key trade union stakeholders.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the Operational Efficiency Review in respect of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary to report; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1208W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Derek Wyatt).

VAT: Pharmacy

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 857W, on taxation: health professionals, if he will bring forward legislation to apply the same treatment for value-added tax purposes to pharmacy contractors and appliance contractors.

Stephen Timms: The application of VAT throughout the EU is governed by agreements between the UK and its EU partners. Under these agreements, the UK is allowed to keep its existing zero rates, but may not extend their scope or introduce new ones. Therefore, it would not now be possible for the UK to remove VAT from goods supplied by appliance contractors which are not already zero-rated.

JUSTICE

Children's Act 1989

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many section 47 Children's Act 1989 referrals were made of 18 to 21-year-old prisoners to adult social services by  (a) the Prison Service and  (b) the Probation Service in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: Section 47 of the Children's Act 1989 sets out local authorities' obligations to investigate concerns about the welfare of those under the age of 18. There is therefore no provision under this section for either the prison or probation services to make a referral to adult social services for young adult offenders aged between 18 and 21.

Corruption: Public Service

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Huntington of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 86W, on corruption, when he now plans to publish the Foreign Bribery Strategy.

Jack Straw: Following the launch of the new OECD Recommendation for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials on 9 December 2009, the UK Foreign Bribery Strategy has been amended to highlight this new platform for international cooperation. I plan to publish the Strategy shortly.

Corruption: Public Service

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he has provided to  (a) Government (i) Departments and (ii) other bodies and  (b) non-governmental organisations in his role as anti-corruption champion.

Jack Straw: In my role as International Anti-Corruption Champion, I am responsible for coordinating and driving forward Government action against international corruption. This cross-departmental work has included annual instructions to Overseas Missions on reporting allegations on UK involvement in foreign bribery and supporting ethical business conduct. Work under the new Foreign Bribery Strategy will include a more detailed anti-corruption toolkit for Overseas Missions and the development of new guidelines regarding companies convicted of corruption offences.

Corruption: Public Service

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings he has had in his role as anti-corruption champion.

Jack Straw: In my role as International Anti-Corruption Champion I have held roundtable discussions with business, non-governmental organisations, police, prosecutors, and regulators on 12 May and 13 October 2009. I also addressed the 5th European Forum on Anti-corruption on 23 June 2009 (the text is available on the MoJ website). In addition, I have had internal meetings with departmental officials in relation to this role.

Crimes of Violence: Older People

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people of each sex aged 65 and above have been convicted of each offence involving violence against the person in each police force area in each year since 1997.

Claire Ward: The number of defendants aged 65 and over who were found guilty at all courts for violence against the person, by police force area 1997 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table .
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  Number of persons aged 65 and over found guilty at all courts for violence against the person( 1) , England and Wales 1997 to 2007( 2, 3) 
			   1997  1998  1999 
			  Police force area  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 1 3 - - - 1 - 1 
			 Bedfordshire 2 - 2 - - - 1 - 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 3 - 3 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 Cheshire 1 - 1 - 1 1 2 - 2 
			 City of London - - - - - - 1 - 1 
			 Cleveland - - - - - - 1 - 1 
			 Cumbria 4 - 4 3 - 3 1 - 1 
			 Derbyshire 1 - 1 - - - 2 - 2 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 2 
			 Dorset - - - 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 Durham 1 - 1 - - - - - - 
			 Essex 2 - 2 2 - 2 2 - 2 
			 Gloucestershire 3 - 3 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 Greater Manchester 6 - 6 6 2 8 9 - 9 
			 Hampshire 2 1 3 3 - 3 2 - 2 
			 Hertfordshire - - - - - - 6 - 6 
			 Humberside 2 - 2 4 - 4 1 - 1 
			 Kent - - - 1 - 1 4 - 4 
			 Lancashire 1 - 1 6 - 6 2 - 2 
			 Leicestershire - - - 2 - 2 3 - 3 
			 Lincolnshire 3 - 3 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 Merseyside 2 1 3 2 - 2 5 - 5 
			 Metropolitan Police 17 - 17 13 2 15 28 1 29 
			 Norfolk 2 - 2 2 - 2 - - - 
			 North Yorkshire - - - 1 - 1 1 1 2 
			 Northamptonshire - - - 2 - 2 - - - 
			 Northumbria 4 - 4 3 - 3 2 - 2 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 1 3 4 1 5 1 1 2 
			 South Yorkshire 4 - 4 - 1 1 3 - 3 
			 Staffordshire 1 - 1 2 - 2 4 - 4 
			 Suffolk - 1 1 1 1 2 2 - 2 
			 Surrey - - - 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 Sussex 2 1 3 2 1 3 6 - 6 
			 Thames Valley 3 - 3 4 - 4 - - - 
			 Warwickshire - - - 1 - 1 - - - 
			 West Mercia 5 - 5 4 - 4 1 1 2 
			 West Midlands 9 - 9 6 - 6 5 - 5 
			 West Yorkshire 3 - 3 2 - 2 2 - 2 
			 Wiltshire - - - - - - 1 - 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1 - 1 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 Gwent 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 North Wales - - - 1 - 1 3 - 3 
			 South Wales 5 - 5 3 - 3 3 1 4 
			   
			 England and Wales 95 6 101 91 9 100 114 5 119 
		
	
	
		
			   2000  2001  2002 
			  Police force area  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset - - - 5 - 5 2 - 2 
			 Bedfordshire 1 - 1 - 1 1 3 - 3 
			 Cambridgeshire - - - 2 - 2 - - - 
			 Cheshire 2 1 3 1 - 1 1 1 2 
			 City of London - - - - - - 1 - 1 
			 Cleveland - - - 1 - 1 3 - 3 
			 Cumbria 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 1 2 
			 Derbyshire - - - - - - 3 - 3 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4 1 5 2 - 2 5 1 6 
			 Dorset 1 - 1 1 1 2 2 - 2 
			 Durham - - - 1 - 1 2 - 2 
			 Essex 2 1 3 2 - 2 - 2 2 
			 Gloucestershire 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 Greater Manchester 6 1 7 5 1 6 7 - 7 
			 Hampshire 4 1 5 3 - 3 5 1 6 
			 Hertfordshire 1 - 1 2 - 2 3 - 3 
			 Humberside - - - 3 - 3 1 - 1 
			 Kent 2 - 2 2 - 2 2 - 2 
			 Lancashire 7 - 7 6 - 6 3 - 3 
			 Leicestershire 1 - 1 1 1 2 2 - 2 
			 Lincolnshire 2 - 2 1 - 1 2 - 2 
			 Merseyside 1 - 1 3 - 3 6 - 6 
			 Metropolitan Police 27 3 30 21 - 21 26 3 29 
			 Norfolk - 1 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 North Yorkshire 4 1 5 1 - 1 - - - 
			 Northamptonshire 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 Northumbria 6 1 7 2 2 4 2 - 2 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 1 3 2 - 2 1 1 2 
			 South Yorkshire 3 - 3 2 - 2 2 - 2 
			 Staffordshire 1 - 1 - - - - - - 
			 Suffolk - - - - - - 1 - 1 
			 Surrey 2 - 2 - - - - 1 1 
			 Sussex 4 - 4 2 - 2 1 1 2 
			 Thames Valley 3 1 4 1 - 1 2 - 2 
			 Warwickshire 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 West Mercia 7 - 7 3 1 4 - - - 
			 West Midlands 6 - 6 5 - 5 11 - 11 
			 West Yorkshire 5 - 5 3 1 4 4 - 4 
			 Wiltshire - 1 1 1 - 1 - - - 
			 Dyfed-Powys 3 - 3 1 - 1 2 - 2 
			 Gwent 1 - 1 2 1 3 3 - 3 
			 North Wales 1 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 2 
			 South Wales 6 1 7 6 - 6 7 - 7 
			   
			 England and Wales 119 15 134 99 9 108 122 12 134 
		
	
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005 
			  Police force area  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 - 2 2 1 3 5 - 5 
			 Bedfordshire 7 - 7 1 - 1 3 - 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 5 - 5 5 - 5 1 - 1 
			 Cheshire 1 1 2 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 City of London - - - - - - - - - 
			 Cleveland 1 - 1 4 - 4 1 - 1 
			 Cumbria 1 1 2 - - - 2 - 2 
			 Derbyshire 1 - 1 - - - 1 - 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4 2 6 3 2 5 4 - 4 
			 Dorset - - - 4 - 4 - - - 
			 Durham 1 - 1 4 1 5 - - - 
			 Essex - 2 2 3 - 3 4 2 6 
			 Gloucestershire - - - - - - 7 - 7 
			 Greater Manchester 7 - 7 8 1 9 6 - 6 
			 Hampshire 2 1 3 6 - 6 12 - 12 
			 Hertfordshire 2 - 2 - 1 1 1 1 2 
			 Humberside 5 1 6 3 - 3 2 2 4 
			 Kent 8 - 8 2 - 2 2 - 2 
			 Lancashire 4 1 5 3 1 4 5 1 6 
			 Leicestershire 4 - 4 4 1 5 6 1 7 
			 Lincolnshire 1 1 2 - - - 2 - 2 
			 Merseyside 6 - 6 7 - 7 2 - 2 
			 Metropolitan Police 20 1 21 26 4 30 21 4 25 
			 Norfolk 2 - 2 3 1 4 2 - 2 
			 North Yorkshire 1 1 2 2 - 2 - - - 
			 Northamptonshire 1 - 1 1 - 1 - - - 
			 Northumbria 2 - 2 3 1 4 2 1 3 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 - 1 - - - 3 1 4 
			 South Yorkshire 2 - 2 - - - 4 - 4 
			 Staffordshire 1 - 1 2 1 3 2 - 2 
			 Suffolk 3 - 3 3 1 4 1 - 1 
			 Surrey 3 1 4 - - - 1 - 1 
			 Sussex 5 1 6 6 1 7 3 - 3 
			 Thames Valley 3 - 3 3 - 3 6 - 6 
			 Warwickshire 1 - 1 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 West Mercia - 1 1 3 1 4 6 - 6 
			 West Midlands 11 - 11 14 1 15 10 - 10 
			 West Yorkshire 3 - 3 7 2 9 4 - 4 
			 Wiltshire - - - - - - 1 - 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1 - 1 1 - 1 3 - 3 
			 Gwent - - - - 2 2 1 - 1 
			 North Wales 3 - 3 2 1 3 2 - 2 
			 South Wales 4 - 4 6 1 7 3 - 3 
			   
			 England and Wales 129 15 144 145 25 170 143 13 156 
		
	
	
		
			   2006  2007 
			  Police force area  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 Bedfordshire 2 - 2 - - - 
			 Cambridgeshire 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 Cheshire 1 - 1 2 - 2 
			 City of London - - - - - - 
			 Cleveland 4 - 4 - 1 1 
			 Cumbria 3 - 3 - - - 
			 Derbyshire 3 - 3 5 - 5 
			 Devon and Cornwall 6 - 6 11 1 12 
			 Dorset 2 - 2 4 - 4 
			 Durham 1 - 1 3 - 3 
			 Essex 2 1 3 4 - 4 
			 Gloucestershire 4 - 4 - - - 
			 Greater Manchester 11 3 14 2 2 4 
			 Hampshire 10 1 11 5 3 8 
			 Hertfordshire 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			 Humberside 3 1 4 1 2 3 
			 Kent 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 Lancashire 1 1 2 7 - 7 
			 Leicestershire 1 - 1 4 - 4 
			 Lincolnshire 2 - 2 2 - 2 
			 Merseyside 4 1 5 3 1 4 
			 Metropolitan Police 25 5 30 32 3 35 
			 Norfolk 2 - 2 2 - 2 
			 North Yorkshire 3 1 4 4 1 5 
			 Northamptonshire - - - - - - 
			 Northumbria 4 - 4 5 - 5 
			 Nottinghamshire 4 - 4 3 - 3 
			 South Yorkshire 4 - 4 - 1 1 
			 Staffordshire - - - 4 - 4 
			 Suffolk 2 - 2 1 - 1 
			 Surrey - - - 4 1 5 
			 Sussex 8 - 8 5 1 6 
			 Thames Valley 3 - 3 5 - 5 
			 Warwickshire 4 - 4 2 - 2 
			 West Mercia 3 1 4 5 - 5 
			 West Midlands 15 3 18 18 2 20 
			 West Yorkshire 8 - 8 7 1 8 
			 Wiltshire 5 - 5 1 - 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 3 1 4 1 - 1 
			 Gwent 3 1 4 1 1 2 
			 North Wales 1 1 2 3 1 4 
			 South Wales 1 - 1 1 - 1 
			
			 England and Wales 165 21 186 161 22 183 
			 (1) Violence against the person includes: Murder, Attempted murder. Threat or conspiracy to murder, manslaughter, causing death by aggravated vehicle taking, wounding or other act endangering life, endangering railway passenger, endangering life at sea, other wounding, cruelty to or neglect of children, abandoning children under two years, child abduction, procuring illegal abortion, concealment of birth. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Conferences

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title was of each such conference.

Claire Ward: No conferences were organised then subsequently cancelled in the last three years in the Ministry of Justice and its agencies.

Departmental Information Officers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) press officers and  (b) communications staff were employed by his Department (i) in each year since it was established and (ii) on the latest date for which figures are available; and what the cost of employing these staff was in each such year.

Jack Straw: The salary related cost of press officers (including contractors and agency staff) employed in 2008-09 and 2007-08, excluding support staff, and the number employed at the end of each year are as follows:
	
		
			   2008-09  2007-08 
			  Press officers  Cost nearest £000  Number at 31 March 2009  Cost nearest £000  Number at 31 March 2008 
			 MOJ HQ 1,976 40 1,560 33 
			 HM Courts Service 136 3 159 3 
			 Tribunals Service 107 1 55 1 
			 National Offender Management Service(1) 0 0 0 0 
			 Office of the Public Guardian(1) 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 2,219 44 1,774 37 
			 (1 )MOJ HQ provides press office services to NOMS and OPG. 
		
	
	The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) press office operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, dealing with all media relations for the Department, including the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), from the international, national and regional media.
	The MOJ is one of the largest Departments in Government. Communications, including the work of the press office, is an important element of this. The rise in the number of press officers is attributable to the need to increase the capability of the press office to deal with the expanded remit of the work undertaken by the MOJ, compared to its predecessor, the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	Communications officers include intranet/internet staff, event organisation, marketing and publishing staff and others involved in communications roles. The salary related cost of communications officers employed in 2008-09 and 2007-08 (include contractors and Agency staff, where known) and the number employed at the end of each year are as follows:
	
		
			   2008-09  2007-08 
			  Communications Officers  Cost nearest £000  Number at  31 March 2009  Cost nearest £000  Number at  31 March 2008 
			 MOJ HQ 2,801 38 2,286 42 
			 HM Courts Service 510 9 439 9 
			 Tribunals Service 360 11 355 11 
			 National Offender Management Service(1) 847 19 609 18 
			 Office of the Public Guardian 176 4 173 3 
			 Total 4,694 81 3,862 83 
			 (1) Figures for NOMS do not include agency staff or contractors. 
		
	
	For both press officers and communications officers, the number of staff employed at the end of each financial year may not be typical of numbers employed in other months of the year so a comparison of average costs based on the table above is misleading. Average staff numbers are not available for the whole period for press and communications staff separately.
	The increase in expenditure on communications officers in MOJ HQ reflects the significantly increased size and remit of MOJ compared to its predecessor, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, and a consequent need to increase the capability of staff employed. To meet this challenge, a number of communications-led projects were undertaken which required the employment of specialist contractors by the MOJ HQ communications directorate for a limited period of time which further increased costs in 2008-09 on a one-off basis.
	Expenditure on communications officers by the National Offender Management Service is not directly comparable between years. The 2007-08 figure relates only to Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS). HMPS was merged with the National Probation Service and some former headquarters functions from 1 April 2008. The expanded remit and responsibilities of the enlarged agency necessitated the employment of more senior staff within the communications unit.
	The number of staff employed as at the current time and the expenditure incurred from 1 April 2009 to 31 December 2009 is:
	
		
			   2009-10 
			   Cost nearest £000  Number at 31 December 2009 
			  Press officers   
			 MOJ HQ(1) 1,717 38 
			 HM Courts Service 118 2 
			 Tribunals Service 43 1 
			 National Offender Management Service 0 0 
			 Office of the Public Guardian(1) 0 0 
			 Total 1,978 41 
			
			  Communications Officers   
			 MOJ HQ(2) 1,927 51 
			 HM Courts Service 321 8 
			 Tribunals Service 232 8 
			 National Offender Management Service(3) 756 17 
			 Office of the Public Guardian 136 4 
			 Total 3,372 88 
			 (1) MOJ HQ provides press office services for NOMS and OPG. (2 )Nine staff, based previously in the Information and Communications Technology directorate have transferred to the MOJ HQ communications team in 2009. This team now provides a shared service in design and publication to the wider MOJ, including many of its agencies and NDPBs. This shared service is significantly reducing the use of external suppliers. In addition MOJ HQ has taken on the Directgov and business link franchises. (2 )Figures for NOMS do not include agency or contract staff.

Departmental Public Participation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many citizen juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice has not held any citizen's juries or summits, as they are defined in the Government's National Framework for Greater Citizen Engagement, since October 2008.

Drugs: Crime

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) community sentences,  (b) fines,  (c) custodial sentences and  (d) cautions were imposed for drug dealing offences relating to each type of drug in each of the last three years.

Claire Ward: The requested information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  The Number of persons sentenced for drug dealing offences and all types of drugs 2005-07 
			   2005 
			   Absolute Discharge  Conditional Discharge  Fine  Community Sentence  Immediate Custody  Suspended Sentences  Total sentenced 
			  Supply or offering to supply Methamphetamine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cocaine 0 10 14 94 316 15 451 
			 Heroin 0 10 5 301 902 29 1,252 
			 LSD 0 1 0 3 4 0 8 
			 MDMA 0 6 7 59 91 7 172 
			 Crack 0 1 1 57 198 7 265 
			 Methadone 0 1 1 7 6 3 18 
			 Other Class A 0 12 7 142 353 14 529 
			 Amphetamine 1 4 6 22 30 6 71 
			 Other Class B 0 4 1 7 22 3 37 
			 Cannabis 3 22 25 159 135 19 367 
			 Anabolic Steroids 0 1 0 0 3 0 4 
			 Other Class C 0 28 19 75 89 10 223 
			 Ketamine 0 0 0 0 0  0 
			 Unspecified 0 0 0 16 217 6 242 
			 Total 4 100 86 942 2366 119 3,639 
			  Possession with intent to supply
			 Cocaine 0 5 14 129 748 26 930 
			 Heroin 2 6 5 225 848 19 1,118 
			 LSD 0 0 0 4 5 1 11 
			 MDMA 3 5 8 165 342 25 551 
			 Crack 1 0 7 36 246 10 303 
			 Methadone 0 1 0 3 3 1 8 
			 Other Class A 0 2 5 42 141 6 198 
			 Amphetamine 0 2 7 107 123 14 254 
			 Other Class B 0 1 2 8 5 0 16 
			 Cannabis 0 30 62 526 272 53 950 
			 Anabolic Steroids 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 
			 Other Class C 0 20 28 285 230 43 614 
			 Ketamine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Unspecified 0 2 1 12 67 5 87 
			 GBH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 6 74 139 1,544 3,031 203 5,044 
		
	
	
		
			   2006 
			   Absolute Discharge  Conditional Discharge  Fine  Community Sentence  Immediate Custody  Suspended Sentences  Total sentenced 
			 Supply or offering to supply Methamphetamine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cocaine 0 9 12 69 358 47 502 
			 Heroin 0 6 0 210 810 132 1,166 
			 LSD 0 0 0 1  1 2 
			 MDMA 0 0 14 46 81 22 164 
			 Crack 0 3 4 37 202 23 272 
			 Methadone 0 0 1 5 6 2 14 
			 Other Class A 0 4 2 79 339 37 467 
			 Amphetamine 0 5 2 18 54 10 89 
			 Other Class B 0 1 0 3 3 4 11 
			 Cannabis 0 25 21 118 101 85 352 
			 Anabolic Steroids 0 0 0 0 0  0 
			 Other Class C 0 19 13 81 106 54 277 
			 Ketamine 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 
			 Unspecified 0 0 0 8 136 6 160 
			 Total 0 72 70 676 2,196 424 3,479 
			  Possession with intent to supply
			 Cocaine 1 6 9 94 774 94 986 
			 Heroin 0 4 8 155 847 73 1,101 
			 LSD 0 0 0 0 4 3 8 
			 MDMA 0 3 10 78 256 67 419 
			 Crack 0 1 3 45 231 17 298 
			 Methadone 0 0 0 2 3 3 8 
			 Other Class A 0 0 4 44 145 22 217 
			 Amphetamine 0 8 1 71 109 67 262 
			 Other Class B  0 2 8 4 3 18 
			 Cannabis 0 39 29 378 240 186 884 
			 Anabolic Steroids 0 1 0 1 0 1 3 
			 Other Class C 0 13 17 207 293 202 739 
			 Ketamine 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Unspecified 1 3 7 17 64 12 107 
			 GBH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 2 78 90 1,100 2,971 750 5,051 
		
	
	
		
			   2007 
			   Absolute Discharge  Conditional Discharge  Fine  Community Sentence  Immediate Custody  Suspended Sentences  Total sentenced 
			 Supply or offering to supply Methamphetamine 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 
			 Cocaine 0 4 6 70 353 89 526 
			 Heroin 0 6 4 149 829 158 1,159 
			 LSD 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 MDMA 0 5 2 34 73 43 158 
			 Crack 0 0 1 28 206 24 261 
			 Methadone 0 1 0 6 6 2 15 
			 Other Class A 0 3 0 65 339 61 471 
			 Amphetamine 1 1 4 22 23 24 75 
			 Other Class B 0 0 2 2 3 2 10 
			 Cannabis 2 18 29 120 101 77 354 
			 Anabolic Steroids 0 1 0 2 0 1 4 
			 Other Class C 0 14 8 54 65 80 224 
			 Ketamine 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 
			 Unspecified  0 0 10 213 10 233 
			 Total 3 53 58 562 2215 571 3,496 
			  Possession with intent to supply
			 Cocaine 4 5 19 119 837 171 1,165 
			 Heroin 0 4 6 139 877 102 1138 
			 LSD 0 1 2 4 6 2 15 
			 MDMA 1 6 7 87 276 126 509 
			 Crack 0 3 3 46 276 31 364 
			 Methadone 0 0 1 1 1 2 5 
			 Other Class A 0 2 1 38 196 39 277 
			 Amphetamine 0 8 6 44 125 99 283 
			 Other Class B 0 0 0 3 14 2 19 
			 Cannabis 1 12 32 340 232 263 910 
			 Anabolic Steroids 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Other Class C 0 13 23 169 287 252 754 
			 Ketamine  0 1 4 0 0 5 
			 Unspecified 1 2 5 8 40 10 68 
			 GBH 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Total 7 56 106 1,002 3,168 1,100 5,514 
			  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice  
		
	
	
		
			  The number of offenders cautioned for supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug, by drug type, England and Wales, 2005 to 2007( 1,2,3) 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			  Supplying or offering to supply Methamphetamine - - - 
			 Cocaine 20 41 46 
			 Heroin 31 20 27 
			 LSD 1 4 - 
			 MDMA 22 27 28 
			 Crack 11 6 6 
			 Methadone 8 10 7 
			 Other class A drugs 13 22 25 
			 Amphetamine 10 12 27 
			 Other class B drugs 5 4 3 
			 Cannabis 153 131 130 
			 Anabolic Steroids 1 1 - 
			 Other class C drugs 33 33 37 
			 Ketamine - 1 7 
			 Unspecified 10 3 2 
			 GHB 1 1 - 
			 Total 319 316 345 
			 
			  Having possession with intent to supply
			 Methamphetamine - - 1 
			 Cocaine 53 91 100 
			 Heroin 34 36 18 
			 LSD - 3 6 
			 MDMA 50 60 60 
			 Crack 20 24 17 
			 Methadone 3 1 3 
			 Other class A drugs 29 32 29 
			 Amphetamine 16 22 23 
			 Other class B drugs 3 5 5 
			 Cannabis 482 490 423 
			 Anabolic Steroids 2 4 1 
			 Other class C drugs 57 51 41 
			 Ketamine - - 8 
			 Unspecified 16 22 27 
			 GHB - - - 
			 Total 765 841 762 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Email: Government Departments

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the Prime Minister's policy is on the  (a) retention and  (b) deletion of emails in Government departments.

Michael Wills: The National Archives provides guidance to Departments on electronic records management. The policies on e-mails are no different to those on paper records. It is the context of e-mails or paper documents that determines what should be kept, and what destroyed. The National Archives advises Departments to manage e-mails as part of an overall records management policy and to ensure they are held in a managed environment which can sustain access to the records for as long as they are required.

Prison Accommodation

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many juvenile prisoners aged  (a) 15,  (b) 16 and  (c) 17 are in detention at locations more than 50 miles from their home address.

Maria Eagle: As of 8 May 2009 (the last date at which data are available) there were 871 young people aged 15-17 who were detained in young offender institutions (YOIs) more than 50 miles from their home area.
	The following table shows the number of 15 to 17-year-old male and female offenders in YOIs who were detained (i) up to 50 miles from their home area and (ii) more than 50 miles from their home area.
	
		
			  Age  Prisoners held  up to 50 miles from home area  Prisoners held over  50 miles  from home area  Total 
			 15 139 87 226 
			 16 330 249 579 
			 17 811 535 1,346 
			 Total 1,280 871 2,151 
		
	
	All prisoners are asked for details of their home address on first reception to prison and on discharge from prison. About 60 per cent. of prisoners (both male and female) are shown to have given a recognised address. If no address is given, various proxies are used to determine distance from home, including next-of-kin address and committal court address. Figures have been scaled to match the overall 15 to 17-year-old population.

Prison Accommodation

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 546-47W, on prison accommodation, of the cells not included in the certified normal accommodation of the prison estate, how many are  (a) part of segregation units,  (b) part of in-patient health care centres and  (c) holding cells in prison receptions.

Jack Straw: As of 14 December 2009 and based on information from central records, about 2,712 places were not included in the certified normal accommodation (or uncrowded capacity) of the prison estate. Of those places, about 1,800 are part of segregation units; 400 are in health care in-patient centres; and 500 are in other locations, mainly holding cells.
	These figures have been drawn from central administrative/recording systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prison Sentences: Females

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many females were given custodial sentences in each of the last three years.

Claire Ward: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Total females given custodial sentences, 2005 to 2007 
			   Immediate custody  Suspended sentence  Total custodial sentences 
			 2005 8,281 1,570 9,851 
			 2006 7,844 4,516 12,360 
			 2007 7,795 5,552 13,347 
			 Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	This table is also available in Sentencing Statistics 2007, table 2.9. Data are available in the following link
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm.
	Sentencing Statistics 2008 will be published on 28 January 2010.
	The Government take the issue of women's offending very seriously. On 14 December 2009 Maria Eagle made a statement to Parliament and published the Government's Strategy for Diverting Women Away from Custody. In the report we have committed to reduce the women's prison estate by 300 places by March 2011 with an additional 100 places by March 2012 and divert resources from custody to the community to sustain the multi-agency community services we have established through our grant funding project which we announced on 3 February 2009.
	To take forward this grants project we have committed £15.6 million of new funding over two years, to invest in the provision of additional services in the community for women offenders, who are not a danger to the public, and women at risk of offending. Since then we have agreed in excess of £9 million of the funding to 31 third sector organisations to build capacity of women's community projects and other specialist provision for women in the community; a further £1 million has been used to continue the Together Women Projects in the north west and Yorkshire and Humberside.

Prisoners: Epilepsy

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will direct the National Offender Management Service to undertake a review of the care of prisoners and those held on remand with epilepsy for the purposes of implementing standards for care provided by staff in  (a) prisons and  (b) young offender institutions.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	There will be no centrally commissioned review by the National Offender Management Service or the Department of the care of prisoners and those held on remand with epilepsy in prisons and young offender institutes.
	Since 2006, primary care trusts (PCTs) have been responsible for commissioning health services for their offender health population. In commissioning these services, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines for epilepsy provides the benchmark for providers of these services.
	Local PCTs are responsible for assuring the quality of care provided in primary care settings to their local population, which includes all publicly run prisons.
	All clinical staff are regulated and subject to the same standards of practice including those providing care in prisons. The standards of care expressed in the New General Medical Services Quality Outcomes Framework will be monitored, as they are in general practice, across the prison estate following the roll out of a general practitioner clinical information technology system.

Prisons: Drugs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of prisoners receiving methadone treatment are serving sentences of  (a) less than three months,  (b) between three and six months,  (c) between six months and one year,  (d) between one and two years and  (e) more than two years.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not yet available.
	A joint Home Office, National Offender Management Service, National Treatment Agency and Department project has redesigned the Drug Information Record (DIR) and Prison Activity Form which came into use on 1 April 2009, therefore mechanisms are now in place for prisons to collect baseline data on the number of drug users in effective treatment.
	Section 5.2 of the new DIR collects the following information:
	If the length of sentence is:
	less than one year;
	between one to four years; and
	more than four years.
	As this data collection only began in April 2009 it will not be until 2011-12, when the data improvement project has had a chance to take effect, that data on methadone prescription by sentence length is likely to be sufficiently robust to produce reliable data.

Prisons: Drugs

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons have been convicted of  (a) attempting to smuggle and  (b) smuggling drugs into prison in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Recorded and published crime data relating to the supply and attempted supply of drugs offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 are not disaggregated to those involving prisons. Obtaining the detailed data as requested would require contacting prisons, police forces and courts and could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	From 1 April 2008, in order to strengthen the penalties for smuggling contraband into a prison, an offence under section 22 of the Offender Management Act 2007 was created for the conveyance of drugs into a prison. The offence carries a penalty of up to 10 years and or an unlimited fine. Other offences relating to conveying other contraband into a prison were also created.
	From April 2009, indictable and triable-either-way offences contained in the Offender Management Act have been included in the Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime. Offences under the Act are recorded by police and will be published in next year's annual statistical bulletin, Crime in England and Wales (July 2010).

Prisons: Drugs

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of staff at adult prisons are searched for illegal substances on arrival at work.

Maria Eagle: To provide the information requested would involve collating information from all prisons in the adult estate which could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	The National Offender Management Service's (NOMS) policy requires that in all prisons, procedures are in place for the searching of prisoners, staff, domestic, official and professional visitors and contractors, which are capable of detecting all items of contraband, including illegal substances. These arrangements must be set out as part of a written local security strategy agreed with the regional manager.
	While the searching of staff will be carried out in all prisons on entry, the level and frequency of such searching at individual prisons is determined by local security and control needs and is set out in each prison's local searching strategy.
	In the majority of prisons this will mean a programme of routine searches of staff in addition to searches based on suspicion or on receipt of intelligence. In some prisons, particularly some open prisons, a better use of resources may be achieved by carrying out only targeted, intelligence-led or random search programmes.

Secure Training Centres: Training

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of young offenders released from Medway Secure Training Centre have subsequently entered  (a) full or part-time education,  (b) full or part-time employment and  (c) full or part-time training in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Data on the percentage of young offenders who were released from specific secure training centres and who returned to education, training and employment are not collected centrally.
	An indicator measuring the proportion of children and young people supervised by Youth Offending Teams who are in suitable full-time education, training or employment (ETE) by the end of their sentence now forms part of the local authority National Indicator Set. The indicator counts only children and young people in full-time, not part-time ETE, and only those who go into full-time ETE by the end of their sentence, not those who do so after the sentence closes. It counts both those completing sentences served entirely in the community and those completing the YOT-supervised community element that forms part of custodial sentences. During 2006-07, the baseline year for this indicator, performance was at 67.4 per cent. During 2007-08, this increased by 2.4 percentage points to 69.8 per cent. and during 2008-09 this increased by a further 2.4 percentage points to 72.2 per cent.

War Crimes: Arrest Warrants

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 755W, on war crimes: arrest warrants, 
	(1)  if he will take steps to consult all interested parties before bringing forward any proposals to amend legislation relating to the issue of arrest warrants under section 51 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received in respect of changes to the law relating to the issue of arrest warrants from  (a) the Israeli government,  (b) other governments,  (c) UK-based organisations and faith groups and  (d) victims of war crimes;
	(3)  what recent consideration he has given to whether the Attorney-General's consent should be required in respect of the issue of  (a) all arrest warrants,  (b) arrest warrants issued in respect of charges of war crimes,  (c) arrest warrants issued in respect of charges of war crimes against individuals whose home jurisdiction is a party to the International Criminal Court,  (d) arrest warrants issued in respect of Israeli nationals and  (e) arrest warrants issued in respect of those who are in the UK for meetings with Ministers and officials;
	(4)  what progress has been made in the consideration of whether to bring forward legislative proposals in respect of the issuing of arrest warrants without the consent of the Attorney-General; and whether any changes to this process will require Parliamentary approval.

Jack Straw: We are looking at this issue as a matter of urgency. No decisions have yet been made. Any changes in this area of the law would require primary legislation.

Youth Custody: Manpower

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the ratio of staff to prisoners is in each  (a) secure children's home,  (b) secure training centre and  (c) young offender institution.

Maria Eagle: The Youth Justice Board does not specify the levels of staff required at secure children's homes (SCHs), instead specifying the service to be delivered. However, many SCHs are able to deliver one-to-one supervision to large numbers of young people for substantial parts of the day.
	The YJB does not set precise staff to trainee ratios for secure training centres (STCs); instead, they agree with providers the minimum staffing levels necessary to ensure effective supervision. Broadly speaking, the minimum staffing levels are three members of custody staff to young people living in a group of eight, and two members of custody staff to young people living in a group of six. In practice, during the core part of the day when young people are in education or activities, there are likely to be more staff engaging with them.
	The following table shows the overall staff to young person ratio for each young offender institution (YOI) at 30 November 2009. Young offenders held in adult categorised establishments are not included. Unified staff relates to those staff that are officer or governor grades. The data have been supplied by the National Offender Management Service and have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	The figures for SCHs, STCs and YOIs are not directly comparable. The figures for YOIs relate to all unified staff employed in the establishment, while the ratios for SCHs and STCs relate only to staff engaging directly with young people.
	
		
			  Establishment  Category  Staff in p ost (Unified)( 1)  Prisoner population  Ratio of unified staff to prisoners 
			 Ashfield (Contracted) YP 200 259 1:1.30 
			 Aylesbury YOI 173 436 1:2.49 
			 Brinsford YOI/YP 250 529 1:2.12 
			 Castington YOI/YP 231 320 1:1.39 
			 Cookham Wood YP 135 104 1:0.77 
			 Deerbolt YOI 192 501 1:2.61 
			 Feltham YOI/YP 431 666 1:1.55 
			 Glen Parva YOI 253 782 1:3.09 
			 Hindley YP 274 300 1:1.09 
			 Huntercombe YP 158 244 1:1.54 
			 Lancaster Farms YOI 250 503 1:2.01 
			 Northallerton YOI 70 224 1:3.20 
			 Portland YOI 216 538 1:2.49 
			 Reading YOI 106 267 1:2.52 
			 Rochester YOI 263 712 1:2.71 
			 Stoke Heath YOI/YP 246 600 1:2.44 
			 Swinfen Hall YOI 214 616 1:2.88 
			 Thorn Cross YOI 112 286 1:2.55 
			 Warren Hill YP 147 177 1:1.20 
			 Werrington YP 94 137 1:1.46 
			 Wetherby YP 236 316 1:1.34 
			 Total - 4,253 8,517 1:2.00 
			 YOI=Young Offender Institution. YP=Young Person's establishment. (1)Headcount (part-time staff count as one).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Colombia: Death

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the death of (a) Adolfo Tique,  (b) Diego Ricardo Rasedo Guerra,  (c) Arled Samboni Guaca and  (d) Leovigildo Mejia in Colombia in January 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: We are aware of all four murders and understand that the Colombian authorities have made no arrests and the perpetrators of the crimes have so far escaped justice.
	Although the murder rate in Colombia has almost halved in recent years, the overall figure for 2009 was still as high as 15,817. We regularly raise our concerns with senior Colombian Ministers. I visited Colombia in October 2009, and urged President Uribe to do more to improve the human rights situation. Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez and I issued a joint statement, declaring that
	the defence of human rights is necessary and legitimate for democracy, in a country like Colombia which is proud of being fully open and ready for international scrutiny on this subject.
	Our embassy in Bogotá also visits those who are under threat, and makes representations to the Colombian authorities in cases of violence or intimidation against trade unionists, including that of Adolfo Tique or other members of Colombian civil society.

Departmental Buildings

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) area and  (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his Department.

Chris Bryant: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information held in electronic format at each security classification have been submitted to the Iraq Inquiry by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela E. Smith) on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 840-41W.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether any  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information in electronic format sought from his Department by the Iraq Inquiry have not been disclosed owing to the Government's obligations to foreign governments or international bodies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of the  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information held in electronic format at each level of security classification requested by the Iraq Inquiry have been provided to it by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 840-41W.

Olympic Games 2012

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 206W, on Olympic Games 2012, if he will publish the job description of each member of staff responsible for co-ordinating the work of his Department on London 2012.

Chris Bryant: Yes. I will place copies of the documents in the Library of the House.